Corporate Finance

CFO Insights

McKinsey latest thinking to provide CFOs with insights on capital markets and investor management, planning and performance management, corporate and portfolio strategy, finance function excellence, and finance leadership.

Topics

Finance leadership
Finance function excellence
Capital markets and investor management
Planning and performance management
Corporate and portfolio strategy

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Article

Biases in decision-making: A guide for CFOs

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Cognitive biases affect human decisions. Here’s a primer on the most common decision-making challenges—and practices that organizations can implement to overcome them.

Finance leadership

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Article

Managing carbon: A new role for the CFO

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Better carbon management can be a competitive advantage. Here’s how CFOs across industries and markets can move beyond “check the box” compliance and enable strategy-driven, carbon-based decision making.
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Survey
Toward the long term: CFO perspectives on the future of finance
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In a new survey, CFOs report a growing focus on longer-term planning and high expectations for technology, including generative...
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Interview
Connecting strategy, finance, and personal development: A conversation with Marjorie Lao
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The former CFO of the LEGO Group shares insights and lessons for finance leaders.
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Article
Faster, smarter, bolder: How midtenure CFOs shift into a higher gear
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Former finance leaders offer advice on how CFOs can go from good to great in the middle years of their tenure.
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Article
Six ways CFOs find the time to unlock their full potential
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It’s hard to create outsize value when you have to manage the finance function’s daily and often urgent demands....

Finance function excellence

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Article

Global Economics Intelligence executive summary, March 2025

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Geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties dampen business sentiment, while rising inflation expectations lead to a fall in consumer confidence; Mexico and eurozone central banks cut interest rates.
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Podcast
What an AI-powered finance function of the future looks like
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Tech veteran and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar discusses the positive potential of gen AI to change work, society, and democracy; how...
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McKinsey Direct
Generative AI in finance: Finding the way to faster, deeper insights
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Generative AI technologies can automate time-consuming tasks for finance professionals, but can they be trusted to give the right...
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McKinsey Direct
How finance skills are evolving in the era of artificial intelligence
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In a world of advanced automation and AI, people skills are becoming a differentiator for finance professionals.
Finance 2030: Four imperatives for the next decade
Article
Finance 2030: Four imperatives for the next decade
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Over the past decade, finance departments reduced costs by almost 30 percent. The next decade’s...

Capital markets and investor management

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Survey

Survey results: Expectations for company performance, by industry

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Surveyed executives express muted optimism for their companies’ prospects in the next six months. They newly see geopolitical instability as the top obstacle to their companies’ growth.
Fostering better decisions through holistic ROI estimates
Article
Fostering better decisions through holistic ROI estimates
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Net present value is the bedrock of ROI estimates, but adding other factors to the analyses can help business leaders see how...
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Article
Smart money? Retail investors, intrinsic investors, and the Magnificent Seven
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Retail investors are investing more of their capital in companies that have the highest market capitalizations. Intrinsic investors...
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Article
Do shareholder activists create lasting value?
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Activist investors seek to maximize their own returns—which can lift a company’s share price when activists hold...
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Article - McKinsey Quarterly
The equity story you need for the long-term investors you want
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Sophisticated investors are more likely to afford a company more time to let its strategy play out, even during volatility. But...

Planning & performance management

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Article

Keep calm and allocate capital: Six process improvements

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The most effective resource allocation processes are radically simple.
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Article
Advanced FP&A practices for a volatile macroeconomic and business environment
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Great models help leaders understand complexity and navigate through uncertainty. Six practical steps for better financial planning...
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Survey
Tying short-term decisions to long-term strategy
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A new survey confirms the well-founded principles behind the allocation of resources for long-term value creation.
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Interview
Anaplan CEO: How decision excellence drives enterprise performance
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Charlie Gottdiener discusses the growing importance of enterprise connectedness and the planning software provider’s research...
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Article
Putting the ‘A’ back in FP&A
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Next-level FP&A teams...

Corporate and portfolio strategy

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Article

How American business can prosper in the new geopolitical era

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In a shifting world order, US companies’ continued success will hinge on an understanding of policymakers’ intentions.
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Article
Advanced industries: New technologies and supply chain shifts are driving key portfolio and investment decisions
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A number of trends, including reduced interest rates and the emergence of new technologies, software, and ecosystems, point to...
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Article
How AI is transforming strategy development
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Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionize strategy activities. But as AI adoption spreads, strategists will need proprietary...
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Article
Active portfolio management: Five practical insights for value creation
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Economic upturns come and go, and cost optimization programs take an organization only so far. But active portfolio management...
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Article
The portfolio management imperative and its M&A implications
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Several trends are creating a new imperative for strong portfolio management of businesses. Companies need six capabilities to...