CFO Caution Creates an Opening for Bolder Competitors

Corporate America may have a capital allocation problem hiding inside its risk management discipline. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “ The Cost of Caution: Why CFOs Put Growth Plans on Hold ,” the latest installment of the 2026 Certainty Project , found in September that middle-market chief financial officers set a higher bar for investing than retreating. More than half said they need a high level of certainty before committing to expansion, yet 91% said only a small or moderate decline in cert