2026 KPMG US CEO Outlook
Discover how leaders are navigating economic headwinds, embracing AI, and positioning their organizations for long-term growth.
2026 KPMG US CEO Outlook
Download the reportOverview
US CEOs are navigating a period of profound transformation with conviction. Despite facing significant global economic headwinds and geopolitical instability, their focus is decisively forward-looking. This year’s findings reveal a C-suite agenda dominated by the immense opportunities and complex risks of generative AI, which has moved from a future ambition to a present-day reality that is actively shaping corporate strategy, margins, and workforce design. This fundamental shift requires a new leadership playbook—one defined by greater agility and strategic foresight. It involves redesigning supply chains where resilience is now more critical than cost, retooling the workforce for an era of human-AI collaboration, and confronting a new, more sophisticated cyber threat landscape. This report unpacks these critical themes, offering an inside look at how leaders are balancing aggressive growth with the urgent need to build a more resilient, AI-enabled, and future-ready operating model.
Business outlook
Over the next three years, CEOs are confident in their company (84%), industry (82%) and US economic (79%) growth, but confidence is more subdued when it comes to global economic (64%) growth.
78% of CEOs continue to report that inflationary pressures will impact their organization’s prosperity over the next three years.
89% of CEOs expect to increase their headcount over the next three years.
60%
will increase headcount less than 5%
26%
will increase headcounts between 6-10%
2%
will increase headcounts between 11-25%
CEO appetite for mergers and acquisitions
26% of US CEOs indicate they have a high M&A appetite and will likely undertake acquisitions that have a significant impact to their overall organization over the next three years.
48% plan to make acquisitions that will have a moderate impact to their organizations.
Supply chain
CEOs are focused on building operational resilience across their organizations. Leaders are actively re-evaluating their supply chain footprint in response to geopolitical and trade dynamic shifts.
79%
of CEOs anticipate geopolitical conflicts and tensions will impact their organization’s prosperity over the next three years.
78%
said regionalization (nearshoring/friend-shoring) has become more important than cost optimization in supply chain decisions.
39%
report that their top strategy to improve supply chain resilience over the next 12 months is prioritizing the improvement of end-to-end visibility through data, AI or digital.
Continue the conversation
Explore the latest insights, perspectives, and analysis shaping the issues discussed in the KPMG 2026 US CEO Outlook
Subscribe to receive the KPMG Opportunity (In)sight Newsletter
Turn insight into opportunity with unique perspectives and actionable insights addressing the burning issues atop the C-suite agenda. Delivered monthly.
About the 2026 KPMG CEO Outlook
About the 2026 KPMG CEO Outlook
The 2026 KPMG CEO Outlook features insights from more than 1,300 CEOs at large companies globally, including 400 in the United States, on the key challenges and opportunities in driving business growth. All US respondents have annual revenues over US$500 million and more than one-third of the companies surveyed have more than US$10 billion in annual revenue.
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP is the US member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 138 countries and territories and has more than 276,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.
KPMG is widely recognized for being a great place to work and build a career. Our people share a sense of purpose in the work we do, and a strong commitment to increasing access to education and opportunity, advancing mental health, and supporting community vitality. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us.