91% Of Finance Leaders Cite Interest Rates As Top Drivers Of Change, AI Seen As Most Transformative Long-Term Force

(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) CHICAGO, March 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ninety-one percent of finance leaders at U.S. banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions say interest rate changes will be the top factor shaping their business model focus in 2026, as possible rate cuts continue to create uncertainty.

That finding comes from Strata Decision Technology's 2026 CFO Outlook for Financial Institutions. The report combines industry analysts' projections with insights from Strata's annual survey of industry finance leaders to examine key risks and priorities for the year.

Inflationary pressures and customer attrition tied as the second most-cited factors, each selected by 55% of respondents. When asked about specific risk exposures, respondents ranked interest rates highest, followed by credit risk, cyber and data governance, and regulatory or policy changes.

At the same time, 86% of finance leaders identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the factor expected to have the biggest impact on the long-term future of financial institutions. However, most institutions remain in early planning or implementation stages of AI adoption, underscoring a significant readiness gap.

“Interest rates remain the dominant near-term risk for financial institutions, but AI is clearly viewed as the most transformative force on the horizon,” said Beth Sutton, Vice President at Strata.“Finance leaders are focused on protecting margins today while building stronger data and planning capabilities to compete in a more digital, analytics-driven future.”

Seventy-one percent of respondents projected commercial loans as the leading driver of profitability growth in 2026. Deposits and consumer loans followed at 26% each, with wealth management cited by 21%, signaling continued efforts to diversify revenue streams.

To maintain financial resilience, 78% of leaders reported decreasing expenses as a core strategy. Process automation (68%) emerged as the most effective cost management lever, a task that is increasingly being coordinated via AI, among other tactics.

As financial institutions navigate rate uncertainty, margin pressure, accelerating digital disruption, and increased competition, the report highlights the need for stronger planning, data integration, and scenario modeling capabilities for more resilient decision-making in 2026 and beyond.

About Strata Decision Technology
Strata Decision Technology, LLC provides innovative enterprise performance management software, data, and intelligence solutions for financial institutions, including robust reporting and visualization tools. Strata's Axiom software helps finance professionals elevate performance by acquiring insights, accelerating decisions, and advancing their business plans. For more information, please visit .

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Media contact:
Stephanie Fergione, Inkhouse
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