CFO Optimism Fuels Demand for Working Capital 📈

Plan 2026 Liquidity as Growth Confidence Rises

Author

Vanessa Carter
September 25, 2025

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Hey there, CFOs! 💼

CFO optimism is climbing as uncertainty recedes. The upcoming Working Capital Index will highlight how growth companies are leveraging liquidity to drive strategy into execution.

Early signals from the Richmond and Atlanta Fed’s CFO Survey show the share of firms increasing spending rising to 40.9% from 36.3%. Visa’s commercial leader notes a pivot toward working capital as a growth driver, from faster invoice cycles to virtual cards that give teams controlled spending power.

📰 Upcoming in this issue

  • 📈 CFO Optimism Is Fueling a Working-Capital Grab

  • 🤖 Fintech Trends Shaping Risk & Assurance in 2026

  • 🤖 BlackLine’s Verity AI Brings Trusted Agents to the CFO’s Office

📈 CFO Optimism Is Fueling a Working-Capital Grab

A new Fed-backed survey highlights rising confidence as uncertainty eases. PYMNTS points to a turning point: CFOs are now using liquidity as a growth tool rather than a fallback reserve.

Key Takeaways:

  • 💵 Optimism to Action: CFOs are channeling improved outlooks into working-capital strategies that fund hiring, inventory, and expansion.

  • 🧰 Strategic Liquidity: Tools like dynamic discounting, virtual cards, and faster AR cycles unlock cash and extend runway without straining suppliers.

  • 🧭 Tariff Sensitivity: Companies less worried about tariffs project stronger revenue and employment, showing diverging capital strategies.

  • 🤝 Bank–FinTech Role: Providers that unify pricing, access, and data across payables and receivables are best positioned to serve growth-minded firms.

Wolters Kluwer outlines how AI, real-time data, and tighter regulations are reshaping risk functions, with a focus on practical steps to modernize controls and demonstrate compliance.

Key Takeaways:

  • 🧠 AI with Guardrails: Mature model governance ensures decisions remain auditable through monitoring and explainability.

  • ⏱️ Continuous Assurance: Always-on controls and anomaly detection reduce detection and remediation cycles.

  • 🔗 Third-Party Oversight: Real-time supplier data and contract monitoring enhance compliance and mitigate concentration risk.

  • 🔐 Privacy and Resilience: Strong encryption, data minimization, and continuity planning address cross-border rules and outage scenarios.

🤖 BlackLine’s Verity AI Brings Trusted Agents to the CFO’s Office

BlackLine introduces Verity, a suite of auditable AI tools built on Studio 360’s unified data layer and certified to ISO/IEC 42001. The suite includes a Control Layer for governance and “Vera,” an interface for orchestrating digital finance workflows.

Key Takeaways:

  • 🧱 Control Layer: Centralized governance and auditability keep AI workflows transparent and accountable.

  • 👩‍✈️ Vera Orchestrates: A single interface deploys and manages digital workers across closing, reconciliations, and reporting.

  • 🗂️ Unified Data: Studio360’s layer ensures consistent, reconciled data for forecasting and content generation.

  • ✅ Certified Trust: ISO/IEC 42001 certification underscores Verity’s focus on ethics, oversight, and accountability.

Why It Matters

Optimism without liquidity often leads to missed opportunities. Tools that accelerate receivables, extend payables responsibly, and provide real-time visibility reduce execution risk and strengthen credibility with boards and lenders.

As spending ramps up and tariff risks persist, CFOs who view working capital as a growth lever, not just a cushion, are well-positioned to hire, invest, and absorb shocks without costly detours.

Wishing you continued success,

Vanessa Carter
Editor-in-Chief
CFO Executive Insights

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