HEADLINES & DEADLINES
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1. The Data Blackout Is Official
With the federal government shut down, CFOs are now flying blind. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau have gone dark, halting jobs, inflation, and GDP reports. The Fed’s decision-making just got murkier, and so did your forecasts.
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2. Job Market Slips Into Reverse
ADP’s September data shows 32,000 private sector jobs lost, with small businesses (-40K) hit hardest. Hiring freezes are spreading, and employers are “waiting out” uncertainty.
The labor market’s officially on ice.
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3. CFO Live 2025 Recap: Trust, Tech, and Turf Wars
CFOs at this year’s Future of Finance event agreed:
AI won’t replace CFOs, but agentic AI will rewrite workflows.
The IT–Finance divide remains the biggest internal roadblock.
The next-gen accountant must mix automation fluency with strategic narrative.
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4. IPO Window Slams Shut
The SEC’s IPO review process is frozen as the shutdown limits staff to emergency filings only. Public-market hopefuls are stuck in limbo; “file later” is the new “quiet period.”
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5. Power Problems Hit Supply Chains
A new Prologis survey found 88% of global executives experienced energy disruptions in the past year. CFOs now face a new KPI to monitor: kilowatts per crisis.
FAST FACTS
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32,000 jobs lost in Sept (ADP)
57% of financial execs say they can’t make decisions fast enough (PwC)
$321K = projected average salary for experienced CFOs (Robert Half, 2026)
$18B in NYC infrastructure funds frozen (OMB)
35 days = duration of the last shutdown (2019)
GLOBAL MOVES
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Stellantis names Joao Laranjo (ex-GE) as CFO after tariff-related losses of €330M.
Spirit Airlines nears $475M bankruptcy lifeline.
Nike’s turnaround gains traction despite $1.5B tariff hit.
Wells Fargo adjusts SMB focus to spark growth.
AI & TECH WATCH
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Auditors Audit the Auditors: 66% of internal audit teams are now auditing GenAI governance.
AI Costs Keep Surging: 80% of firms missed AI infrastructure budgets by 25% or more.
Maximor raises $9M to automate reconciliations with AI agents.
CFOs & Data IQ: Microsoft’s Stephen Harris says, “Treat data like capital — grow it, don’t just count it.”
TURBO HEADLINES
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Elizabeth Warren calls on Trump to release jobs data despite shutdown.
Occidental CEO says she’d “love to scrap quarterly SEC reports.”
Gen X’s debt load now surpasses Millennials’.
FASB tightens derivative scope guidance.
Auto industry signals slowdown ahead.
Power outages rise as a top CFO risk factor.
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