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Confidence among finance chiefs bounded sharply at the end of 2025, according to Deloitte’s Q4 CFO Signals report, with a Confidence Score rising to 6.6, the highest since 2021. Most CFOs now feel more optimistic about the economy and their own company’s prospects, with 56% expecting better economic conditions in the next year. Despite this renewed optimism, finance leaders are scaling back expectations on key financial metrics such as revenue, earnings, and hiring, reflecting caution amid softening consumer demand and persistent inflation. External concerns remain centered on the economy and inflation, while internal worries have shifted from talent shortages to productivity and cost efficiency. The shift in focus underscores the rising pressure on CFOs to prove returns on AI investments. Although two-thirds of CFOs have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) tools, only a small fraction (21%) report clear, measurable value. In 2026, CFOs will face the challenge of integrating AI more effectively to drive tangible performance gains. Overall, Deloitte’s Steve Gallucci praised CFOs for navigating another turbulent year marked by economic, technological, and geopolitical complexity, but warned that uncertainty is likely to persist into 2026.

 

Fortune

Amazon has announced a management shake-up, including the departure of its artificial intelligence (AI) chief, as the company prioritizes catching up with rivals on their advanced chips and large language models.  Rohit Prasad, who helped build the Alexa voice assistant and led its AI efforts recently, will leave the company at the end of the year, while long-time executive Peter DeSantis will lead a new division developing the firm's AI development, chipmaking unit, and quantum computing research. Additionally Pieter Abbeel, who joined Amazon last year, is set to head up frontier model research with the AGI organization and continue to work on robotics. "We are at this inflection point with several of our new technologies that will power a significant amount of our future customer experiences," Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy wrote in a post to employees on Wednesday.

 

Bloomberg

Financial Times

Reuters

Partners at independent CPA firms are reconsidering their internal buyout multiples in light of potential external sales to private equity (PE) firms. Some believe these multiples should be increased to reflect the added value of such sales. A recent poll revealed mixed responses, with some firms raising their buyout multiples while others opted to lower them to maintain affordability for partners. Notably, 40% of respondents are contemplating retirement plan changes, largely due to PE's growing influence. As one firm leader stated: "The best choices are those grounded in your values and preferences." The decision to adjust buyout plans is complex and should align with the firm's strategic goals and values.

 

Accounting Today

A U.S. federal judge has reinstated former Starbucks finance chief Rachel Ruggeri as a defendant in a shareholder lawsuit over alleged misleading statements tied to the company’s “Triple Shot” strategy. The court ruled Ruggeri could be considered a “controlling person” under Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act, reversing her earlier dismissal. Shareholders allege Ruggeri and former chief executive Laxman Narasimhan misled investors about revenue projections and growth in China.

 

CFO Dive

Walmart and major retail groups have urged a U.S. judge to reject a proposed antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard, arguing it allows the firms to continue charging excessive swipe fees and forces merchants to waive claims without meaningful reform. The $30bn case, settled in November, would slightly cut fees for five years, but critics say it was negotiated by smaller merchants without representing the broader $2.7tn industry and undermines other legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny. The case is In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 1:05-md-01720-BMC-JAM.

 

Reuters

Elon Musk's X Corp has launched a lawsuit against Operation Bluebird, a startup which is seeking to cancel Twitter's trademarks to launch its own platform named "twitter.new." X said in Delaware federal court that its Twitter brand is still "alive and well," and Operation Bluebird's attempt to "steal" the name constitutes trademark infringement. Operation Bluebird founder Michael Peroff said: "Our cancellation petition is based on well-established trademark law and we believe we will be successful . . . We are prepared to take this as far as we need to in order to achieve our goal."

 

Reuters

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a preliminary draft of guidance called the Cyber AI Profile, which is aimed at helping organizations align their cybersecurity strategies with AI adoption. Barbara Cuthill, one of the authors of the profile, said: “Regardless of where organizations are on their AI journey, they need cybersecurity strategies that acknowledge the realities of AI’s advancement.”

 

Cyber Express

American Banker

The U.S. Federal Reserve has lifted formal supervisory notices that required Citigroup to address weaknesses in its trading risk management. The decision is a significant easing of regulatory pressure on the third-largest U.S. bank, which has spent years working through control and data issues. Reuters notes that one of Citi's biggest difficulties has been the inconsistency of its data, stemming from multiple systems not yet fully integrated after large acquisitions, and causing the bank to trip up on matters that have precipitated several regulatory reprimands.

 

Reuters

Union-backed investor SOC Investment Group has asked Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet to report on the financial and supply chain impacts of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including a $100,000 H-1B visa fee and enforcement actions affecting trucking and agriculture. The group, which holds minority stakes in each company, warned that labor shortages could threaten long-term corporate performance and said it may pursue legal action if its proposals are excluded from proxy statements.

 

Reuters

Elliott Investment Management has taken a stake worth over $1bn in Lululemon Athletica and is backing former Ralph Lauren executive Jane Nielsen as a potential replacement for departing chief executive Calvin McDonald. The activist investor, now one of Lululemon’s largest shareholders, is seeking to revitalize the brand after a 60% share price decline, inventory issues, discounting missteps and criticism from founder Chip Wilson. Ms Nielsen, known for brand turnarounds at Coach and Ralph Lauren, said she would welcome discussions with the Lululemon board.

 

Bloomberg

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

PayPal has applied to establish PayPal Bank, a Utah-chartered industrial loan company, aiming to streamline its business lending and offer FDIC-insured savings accounts. The move would reduce reliance on third parties and enhance its small business services. The bank would be led by Mara McNeill and seeks to join U.S. card networks directly. 

 

Bloomberg

CNBC

Washington Post

Wall Street Journal

The SEC is poised to finalize the 2026 GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy (GRT), the 2026 SEC Reporting Taxonomy (SRT), and the 2026 GAAP Employee Benefit Plan Taxonomy (EBPT) early next year. These taxonomies will include updates based on FASB accounting standards published in 2025. The 2026 DQC Rules Taxonomy (DQCRT) will focus on the XBRL U.S. Data Quality Committee's validation rules, while the 2026 GAAP Meta Model Relationships Taxonomy (MMT) will aid in proper element tagging for filings.

 

Journal of Accountancy

The European Union will expand its carbon border levy - a fee imposed on the CO2 emissions of imported goods including steel, aluminum, cement and fertilizers - to cover car parts and washing machines. The European Commission proposals would also tighten loopholes that could allow foreign firms to avoid the fee. The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the world's first carbon border tariff, is designed to protect European industries against cheaper imports from countries with weaker climate rules. Trading partners including China, India and South Africa say CBAM unfairly penalizes their economies.

 

Reuters

More than 1,700 Qantas ground staff who were unlawfully dismissed during the Covid pandemic will share a A$40m payout. The Federal Court found that Qantas acted against the Fair Work Act by replacing staff with outsourced contractors. Justice Michael Lee said: "To deprive someone of work illegally is to deprive a person of an aspect of their human dignity." The airline was ordered to pay $120m in compensation and an additional $90m penalty, of which $50m goes to the Transport Workers' Union. TWU national secretary Michael Kaine described the case as a "David and Goliath" battle. “Illegally outsourced Qantas workers can now finally begin to move on,” he said. “These workers loved their jobs, and this . . . A$40m from the largest-ever penalty on an employer will go a long way towards compensating them for the damage Qantas inflicted on their lives.”

 

Yahoo News Australia

Hackers from the ShinyHunters group have accessed the personal information of 200m Pornhub premium users. The stolen data includes viewing habits, email addresses, and activity types. Pornhub confirmed that the breach originated from Mixpanel, a data analytics provider, and said that no passwords or payment details were compromised. 

 

The Guardian