Strategy & Operations


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    U.S. output grows following tariff détente with China: S&P Global survey

    Any recovery in U.S. output this month may prove short lived given that 10% baseline tariffs still stand, according to economists.

    By May 22, 2025
  • The Microsoft pavilion stands are seen at the Hannover Messe industrial trade fair on March 31, 2025 in Hanover, Germany.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    AI is helping to curb Microsoft’s finance headcount growth, exec says

    The tech giant’s finance team has “no appetite right now to continue to grow our headcount at the same pace” as in previous years, Microsoft’s Cory Hrncirik said.

    By May 21, 2025
  • a graphic showing hands typing in a keyboard Explore the Trendline
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    iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Digital transformation, one smart step at a time

    As pricing pressures tighten margins and technologies like artificial intelligence evolve, finance chiefs are more closely scrutinizing the cost and returns of the tech tools they implement.

    By CFO Dive staff
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    Scott Eisen via Getty Images
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    Unions favored over big business more than any time in 60 years: EPI

    While public support for unions has grown in recent years, they have not made significant inroads in worker representation.

    By May 21, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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    Chip Somodevilla / Staff via Getty Images
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    Continuous scenario planning, war chests top finance playbooks for uncertain times

    CFOs now grappling with on-again off-again tariff policies on top of other headwinds are using a variety of strategies to mitigate the risks of the fast-changing business climate.  

    By May 19, 2025
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    DNY59 via Getty Images
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    Invoice rejection spike suggests tactic’s use as tariff buffer, study says

    The sharp rise suggests firms seek to delay payments as they did in the pandemic, according to an analysis from Basware, a financial automation company.  

    By May 19, 2025
  • Scott Bessent testifies before the Senate Finance Committee.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Surging federal debt to raise borrowing costs, erode investment: Peterson

    Interest rates initially rose Monday, the first day of bond trading after Moody’s Ratings late Friday cited the gloomy fiscal outlook and downgraded U.S. debt.

    By May 19, 2025
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    Maksym Kapliuk via Getty Images
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    Inflation expected to surge to 7.3% in a year, fueled by tariff worry

    Consumer sentiment has slumped this year even as recent “hard data” reveal stable prices and robust hiring.

    By May 16, 2025
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    Marko Nikolic via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Why spreadsheets aren’t going away anytime soon

    Spreadsheets are not just a tool of the past; they will be a vital component of the future of finance, Gartner’s Mike Helsel writes.

    By Mike Helsel • May 16, 2025
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    South Carolina, Oregon join states removing 150-hour CPA hurdle

    In recent months over a dozen states have passed legislation easing licensure requirements for CPAs as part of a workforce development push to fix the accounting shortage.

    By May 15, 2025
  • Walmart announces Carrier Pickup by FedEx.
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    Courtesy of Walmart
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    Walmart CEO: ‘Higher tariffs will result in higher prices’

    The big-box retailer vows to keep those prices as low as possible and is leaning into relationships with vendors to respond to a fluctuating market.

    By Kaarin Moore • May 15, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    House committee advances bill with ‘big three’ business tax relief

    The bill advanced Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee would extend some business-friendly tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term.  

    By May 14, 2025
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    Gordan1 via Getty Images
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    Inflation slows more than forecast as tariff retreat eases price pressure

    Even after recent tariff reductions, U.S. consumers face an effective tariff rate of 17.8%, the highest level since 1934, the Yale Budget Lab said.

    By May 13, 2025
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    House committee set to vote on budget legislation extending tax cuts

    The bill under consideration by the House Ways and Means Committee lays the foundation for much of President Donald Trump’s agenda.

    By May 12, 2025
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    Courtesy of Prologis
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    Prologis CFO details a $6B credit line strategy for turbulent times

    The industrial real estate company’s finance chief says multiple credit lines both shield the balance sheet from market disruptions and enable the REIT to seize on opportunities.

    By May 12, 2025
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appears before the House Financial Services Committee on May 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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    Pete Marovich via Getty Images
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    US, China agree to reduce tariff rates for 90 days

    By Wednesday, the two countries will charge 10% baseline duties during the period and remove certain retaliatory levies that pushed rates over 100%.

    By Philip Neuffer • May 12, 2025
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    Permission granted by Planful. Photographer: Anastasiia Sapon
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    Sponsored by Planful

    CFOs: You have a talent crisis on your hands. And it’s about to get worse.

    The finance talent crisis is real, but AI offers a way forward. Learn how CFOs are using automation to boost productivity and elevate finance as a strategic partner.

    By Grant Halloran, Planful CEO • May 12, 2025
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    Nikada via Getty Images
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    The budget-friendly case for a use-it-or-lose-it return-to-office policy

    Top-line leadership unwilling to be strict about RTO policies can leave a company still paying for office space even as its workforce is effectively remote, a workplace analytics expert says. 

    By May 9, 2025
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Jobless claims fell in early May despite ramp up of tariffs

    Consumer expectations for earnings growth and the availability of jobs in a year declined in April, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said.

    By May 8, 2025
  • PwC offices stand in More London Riverside on October 2, 2018 in London, England.
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    Jack Taylor via Getty Images
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    PwC cuts 2% of US workforce, citing ‘historically low’ attrition

    This week the Big Four firm shed 1,500 workers in its assurance and tax units — including accountants — layoffs that aren’t tied to AI, PwC said.

    By May 8, 2025
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    Huang Evan via Getty Images
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    Nearly half of C-suite execs weigh team budget cuts: Gartner

    Macroeconomic uncertainty is also driving some executives to consider altering go-to-market, product and geographic mix strategies, a Gartner poll found.

    By May 7, 2025
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    Vincent Alban via Getty Images
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    Fed warns of rising inflation, unemployment risks; holds rates steady

    “Uncertainty about the economic impact has increased further,” policymakers said in a statement after a two-day meeting.

    By Updated May 7, 2025
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    Courtneyk via Getty Images
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    CFOs signal bigger hiring role amid talent shortage, Deloitte finds

    Finance chiefs are increasingly involved in staffing their departments — effectively acting as the chief human resources officer for finance, the Big Four accounting and consulting firm asserts.

    By May 7, 2025
  • The ADM logo is seen on the company's headquarters building.
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    Courtesy of ADM
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    ADM expects 2025 earnings to be at lower end of guidance, CFO says

    The global grain merchant’s finance chief also said the company wouldn’t provide specific segment operating guidance due to tariff and macroeconomic uncertainties.

    By May 6, 2025
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    KPMG rolls out AI-powered tool for mitigating tariff risks

    The new tool can help with complex analyses that play a role in mitigation strategies a CFO might choose to adopt, according to KPMG’s Andrew Siciliano.

    By May 6, 2025
  • Sandwiches sit on a counter as workers as ingredients.
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    Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
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    US service industry gains strength despite global trade war

    A gauge of prices last month rose to the highest level since early 2023, the Institute for Supply Management found in its survey of the service sector.

    By May 5, 2025