Among corporate leaders, growth still leads the financial agenda. In Webster Bank’s 2026 CFO Outlook report, which surveyed 200 senior financial decision-makers, strategic growth initiatives — including market expansion and M&A — emerged as the most important business priorities. But the way leaders are pursuing growth has changed to a more measured approach. Economic uncertainty and tighter capital conditions are putting greater emphasis on balance-sheet optimization, interest rate management and liquidity management — all of which can help preserve room to act.
Companies haven’t abandoned growth. They’ve become more disciplined about where, when and how to pursue it. Organizations are increasingly prioritizing disciplined, selective growth, replacing the more aggressive approach seen in 2025. Leaders are still looking for opportunities, but they’re testing each one more rigorously — weighing strategic fit, financing needs, timing, resilience and potential return before committing capital.
That shift doesn’t mean every company is easing off the accelerator. Some executives are maintaining an aggressive focus on growth. Those respondents also show strong confidence in liquidity, interest in private equity and a focus on acquisitions, expansion and investment opportunities. For them, the priority is maintaining the financial capacity and flexibility to move decisively when the right opportunity appears.
In the CFO Outlook report, strategic growth encompasses market expansion, strategic investment and mergers and acquisitions. All these remain central to the executive agenda, but each is being evaluated through a tighter filter. Leaders are looking more closely at fit, timing, resilience and return — choosing opportunities that strengthen the business rather than simply making it bigger. Selective growth isn’t a retreat. It’s a decision to focus ambition where it creates lasting value.
Whether growth is selective or aggressive, specialized guidance sharpens decision-making. In our CFO Outlook research, nearly half of executives (48%) identified strategic growth advisory services — including debt structuring and acquisition financing — as the most valuable form of support. Business valuation and exit or succession planning expertise followed.
The takeaway is clear: Companies need more than capital alone. They also need help comparing financing options, evaluating transactions, planning ownership transitions and understanding how today’s decisions may affect long-term value.
That work can begin well before a deal or transition is imminent. A current business valuation can inform capital allocation, governance and growth planning, while an exit plan can help owners protect flexibility, preserve value and prepare for both expected and unexpected transitions.
That need for guidance is growing as the appetite for expansion meets tougher financial conditions. Compared with last year, more executives cite limited access to capital, and more report delaying investments or expansion. Economic uncertainty, borrowing costs and cash flow pressures are forcing sharper decisions about which opportunities to pursue and which to postpone. In this environment, capital planning and liquidity management become growth tools — not simply defensive measures. The question isn’t only whether to invest, but when, how and with what degree of flexibility to do so.
Financial leaders continue to place a high value on partners who can provide guidance and support around strategic growth. Just as telling, trustworthiness has become the top factor in determining which banking providers earn a greater share of business — and it was cited more than twice as often as it was in 2025.
For leaders weighing expansion, M&A, succession or major investment, the right partner can help pressure-test assumptions, preserve financing options and bring a broader view to complex decisions. The goal isn’t to wait for certainty. It’s to build a strategy disciplined enough to move them through uncertainty — and strong enough to help them act when the right opportunity appears.
Find out how Webster Bank’s Commercial Banking advisors can help you pursue growth with more discipline and confidence in an uncertain environment.
The opinions and views herein are for informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations. Please consult professional advisors with regard to your situation.
Source: Webster Bank 2026 CFO Outlook research, conducted by Crisil Coalition Greenwich among 200 senior financial decision-makers at U.S. businesses with annual revenue between $10 million and $500 million. Question bases vary.
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