2026 Finance Trends Survey Report

Strengthen your finance strategies with findings from Protiviti’s 2026 Global Finance Trends Survey, which examines how CFOs and finance leaders are balancing AI adoption, data security, cost optimization and market volatility. Based on insights from more than 900 global respondents, this report explores where AI is delivering value; why security and privacy remain top priorities; and how organizations are improving forecasting, profitability analysis and operational efficiency. It also highlights the challenges of measuring AI ROI, the continued importance of automation and advanced analytics, and the growing need for stronger cash management amid economic uncertainty. This report provides practical insights and actions to help finance teams align priorities, improve performance and build resilience for the year ahead by evaluating technology investments, planning finance transformation efforts, or responding to changing market conditions.

Key Takeaways:

• AI adoption is widespread, but most organizations are still early in their journey toward scalable, measurable transformation.
• Data security and privacy remain the top finance priority for the third consecutive year.
• Automation, advanced analytics and technology rationalization deliver stronger cost and efficiency gains than AI alone.
• Market volatility is increasing the focus on cash management, forecasting and financial resilience.