Strategy & Operations

Conagra CFO cites logistics, transportation accelerating inflation

The Slim Jim-maker’s finance chief David Marberger said oil prices and a driver shortage helped drive inflation higher in the fiscal first quarter. 

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 30, 2026

Consumer confidence sags to 12-year low, eroded by inflation, job anxiety

Inflation will probably not slow to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target until 2028, New York Fed President John Williams predicted.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 29, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

FP&A's evolution into CFOs' essential strategic asset

When FP&A works best, you get things like Amazon Prime. The trick is eliminating the friction in your planning function.  

By CFO Dive staff

Should workers be paid for AI skills?

Companies could face a “retention time bomb” if existing workers see new hires get paid more for tech expertise, Payscale found.

By Ginger Christ • Sept. 29, 2026

Esker CFO folds AI into employee cost analysis

The company blew past its AI budget this year as usage accelerated and model providers changed their pricing for the technology, CFO Scott McDermott said.

By Alexei Alexis • Sept. 29, 2026

AI creates jobs rather than kills them: White House economist Hassett

Most U.S. adults fear that adoption of artificial intelligence will lead to job loss, according to several recent polls.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 28, 2026

Beyond efficiency: How finance leaders are multiplying AI’s real ROI

AI's ROI goes beyond time saved. Here's how CFOs are tracking and reinvesting their gains.

Sept. 28, 2026

Inflation slams consumer sentiment to four-month low: survey

Despite their dimming sentiments toward inflation and business conditions, consumers have shown no sign of cutting spending.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 25, 2026

Costco CFO doubles down on tariff strategy, winks at churro comeback

The retailer’s CEO Ron Vachris said Thursday that the company “predominantly” has used initial IEEPA tariff refunds to lower prices. 

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 25, 2026

26 state attorneys general call on Congress to rein in AI, flagging risks

Legislation introduced in the Senate on Wednesday would pause AI research until the creation of a federal department that would regulate the technology.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 24, 2026

Most companies will hold onto tariff refunds as cash: Atlanta Fed survey

Nine percent of companies surveyed have received tariff refunds and 14% believe they are eligible for reimbursement, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 24, 2026

CFO optimism holds steady overall, weakens at small firms

Twenty percent of small companies reported financial constraints preventing them from covering costs or pursuing new business opportunities.

By Alexei Alexis • Sept. 23, 2026

Business growth surges at fastest pace in five years: S&P Global

Amid rising business activity, U.S. companies this year have grown more pessimistic about future inflation.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 23, 2026

IRS cybersecurity weak, data may be vulnerable, Inspector General says

The IRS in a March 2025 strategy report referred to software tools that it no longer uses and to roles that were eliminated in a reorganization, its inspector general said.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 22, 2026

Microsoft AI ‘playbook’ touts revenue gains from sales pilot

The sales initiative led to a 9.4% rise in revenue per account manager and 20% higher close rates, the company said.

By Alexei Alexis • Sept. 22, 2026

Leading economic index falls, eroded by worsening consumer expectations

The decline in the Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index tracks recent indications that inflation is dimming how consumers view the economic outlook.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 18, 2026

Amazon, Costco among companies fighting centralized tariff refund suits

There is no “industry-wide pricing decision tying the defendants together,” attorneys for over a dozen companies facing tariff lawsuits said in their motion.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 18, 2026

Iran war to spur inflation by 0.6 percentage point by Q1 2027: CBO study

“Re-escalation of the war in the Middle East” was the key factor behind a Federal Reserve decision to raise the main interest rate, Yardeni Research President Ed Yardeni said.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 17, 2026

SEC moves to roll back shareholder proxy proposal rules

The details of the plan to rescind Rule 14a-8 come on the heels of the SEC’s push to make quarterly reporting by public companies optional.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 16, 2026

Fed hikes main interest rate by quarter point, citing stubborn inflation

The monetary tightening provoked criticism from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called on the Fed to cut the main interest rate regardless of price pressures.

By Jim Tyson • Updated Sept. 16, 2026

Anaconda CFO’s IPO chops bring ‘optionality’

The AI-development company’s newly minted CFO Stewart Grierson said going public is just one path that companies can take as they evolve and grow.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 15, 2026

Manufacturing slows from four-year high as prices rise: NY Fed survey

Demand for manufactured goods, while “resilient for now,” will “likely wobble as output prices rise further,” Pantheon Macroeconomics Chief U.S. Economist Samuel Tombs said.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 15, 2026

Lemonade CFO eyes self-driving car insurance, cross-selling growth

Founded in 2015, the New York-based insurance upstart is under financial pressure to meet profitability goals while also seeking to expand.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 14, 2026

DHS proposes end to 60-day H-1B grace period, calling it a ‘burden’

The move would leave some workers with no cushion period in which to depart the U.S. 

By Kathryn Moody • Sept. 14, 2026

Core CPI exceeds forecasts, increasing odds of higher borrowing costs

A mix of economic data and federal policy decisions has strengthened the argument among Federal Reserve officials who favor raising the main interest rate.

By Jim Tyson • Sept. 11, 2026

ADM’s ex-CFO gets SEC to produce over 307,000 documents in fraud case

The federal accounting fraud suit against the grain giant’s former CFO Vikram Luthar is inching along toward a March deadline for the discovery phase.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Sept. 11, 2026