Redesigning capital structures to navigate a fragmented global market

Of course, the macro environment has not softened. Economic uncertainty still ranks as the single biggest brake on growth. Geopolitical instability, competition and supply chain pressures remain firmly embedded in planning assumptions.

The rebound, therefore, is not a reaction to calmer waters. It reflects the clear shift from finance leaders being better prepared and the scale of adaptability being deliberately built into their long-term plans.

Preparedness as practice

The pattern across the data is consistent. CFOs expressed strongest confidence in managing sustainability requirements, new models of work and regulatory demands.

These are areas where frameworks, controls and financial discipline can be applied. By contrast, geopolitical instability, talent scarcity and energy costs sit among the areas of lowest confidence – these remain largely external.

The dividing line is agency. There is stronger belief where volatility can be translated into scenario planning, cost architecture and capital allocation decisions. Tariffs illustrate the point. Nearly a quarter expect revenue loss from recent trade shifts, yet almost nine in ten are confident in their ability to manage and minimise tariff-driven costs. The external shock may be unavoidable, but the internal response is not. We can see from our data that preparedness has now moved from contingency planning to embedded capability – a strategy that needs significant investment.

Investing with intent

Reassuringly, preparedness is visible in capital deployment. We can see that 68% of CFOs are boosting investment, up eight points from 2025.

Customer acquisition and upskilling existing talent are the top areas of increased financial commitment. Growth and capability are advancing together. CFOs are not simply defending margins, they’re positioning for opportunity. Yet the investment profile remains measured. Working capital optimisation, tighter hurdle rates and scenario modelling for geopolitical or cyber shocks remain central – as do shareholder returns. Liquidity and optionality are treated as strategic assets.

Boards, in turn, are demanding more than growth targets. They expect financial resilience, flexibility and credible downside planning. As a results, confidence is being channelled into disciplined expansion rather than exuberance.

Rethinking how growth is financed

Perhaps the most revealing signal of confidence lies not in operating budgets but in funding strategy.

Alternative funding models, including private equity, rank among the top strategic priorities for CFOs in 2026. In a fragmented and capital-sensitive environment, finance leaders are reassessing how growth should be financed, not simply how it should be delivered.

This is a notable shift. For much of the past decade, capital was relatively abundant and financing choices were often tactical. Today, funding structure is becoming a strategic lever of adaptability and, in some cases, potentially a quick fix to rapidly advance expansion and secure (at least short-term) competitive advantage.

Higher interest rates, investor scrutiny and geopolitical fragmentation have made capital structure more consequential. CFOs are weighing reinvestment versus shareholder returns more carefully.

They are evaluating alternative funding sources, partnerships and structured financing options to maintain flexibility without overextending balance sheets. In short, capital architecture is being redesigned alongside operating models and confidence enables that shift.

Digital returns power financial flexibility

Technology investment also plays into funding confidence. CFOs confirm the highest confidence in their return-on-investment expectations in AI, cyber security and data connectivity. Digital initiatives are increasingly expected to improve forecasting accuracy, accelerate reporting cycles and strengthen cash visibility.

That enhanced financial insight supports more dynamic capital allocation. When forecasting is sharper and scenario modelling more robust, funding decisions become less speculative. Digital transformation ultimately underpins capital strategy as well as future productivity.

Confidence with consequences

The rebound in CFO sentiment is not superficial. It is being expressed in how organisations allocate capital, structure funding and balance risk.

There could remain some potential unseen tension, especially as the impact from growing geopolitical volatility increases, between short-term returns and long-term resilience. Immediate pressures can crowd out structural design. Yet the broader direction is clear. CFOs are adapting not only how they manage volatility, but how they finance growth within it.

Confidence of growth in 2026 is not a declaration that uncertainty has receded. Quite the opposite. It shows that uncertainty is being modelled, priced and embedded into capital decisions. The real signal of confidence is the willingness to redesign how growth is funded in the current climate to embed the critical component of adaptability within strategies.