N consulting firms expect profits to increase in 2026 despite ongoing economic uncertainty, according to new research from Deltek, an intelligent platform for project-based businesses.
INDUSTRY FIN. TECH
Almost four in five CFOs expect bigger profits this year despite on-going economic uncertainty
early four in five( 78 %) architecture, engineering and
N consulting firms expect profits to increase in 2026 despite ongoing economic uncertainty, according to new research from Deltek, an intelligent platform for project-based businesses.
The findings show that economic uncertainty has become a persistent operating condition for project-based firms. Even so, more than one in five respondents( 22 %) are forecasting an increase in profits of 10 % or more.
Cost control has overtaken revenue growth as the primary lever for improving profitability, with 34 % of firms identifying tighter controls over purchases and approvals as the single biggest driver of profitability, up from 26 % in 2024.
The findings, drawn from Deltek’ s 7th Annual Clarity Study, form a new guide for finance leaders in project-based firms. The CFO’ s Agenda surfaces the trends, pressures and performance patterns the finance function is facing and highlights how ambitious firms can respond.
Finance leaders are increasingly responsible for shaping business results, with many having an expanded remit to guide technology investment, govern AI and strengthen forward-looking cost control. Cybersecurity is also becoming a more prominent financial consideration: two-thirds( 66 %) of firms have been targeted by a cyberattack in the past three years and 45 % of those affected experienced direct financial losses.
Disconnected data is hindering financial decision-making
The research identifies a persistent structural gap between firms that track performance and those that can act on signals quickly enough to protect margins.
Taking AI from experimentation to financial impact
While 91 % of firms say that Artificial Intelligence( AI) is critical to their organisation’ s success, over half are not yet seeing productivity or cost savings.
The research found that the strongest near-term opportunities for AI lie in project planning, resourcing, performance reporting, billing and back-office finance.
Although CFOs are increasingly prioritising the integration of AI into finance workflows, the ability to translate that intent into measurable return is becoming a defining characteristic of the sector’ s leaders.
The research found that the strongest near-term opportunities for AI lie in project planning, resourcing, performance reporting, billing and back-office finance, where it can improve visibility, reduce manual work and protect margins. It also points to Agentic AI as the next major shift, with firms that invest now in integrated data and governance best placed to capture the benefits.
Heather Larkin, CFO at Deltek, said:“ The role of the CFO has fundamentally changed. Today’ s finance leaders aren’ t simply reporting on performance, they’ re shaping it.”
While 86 % of firms say they track operating profit adequately or very well( up significantly from 75 % in 2024), just 22 % have a fully integrated, end-to-end project management system. As a result, many finance leaders are making commercial decisions using KPI data that is incomplete or manually compiled.
The study showed a clear pattern that firms reporting stronger profit growth in 2025 were more likely to be effectively tracking specific KPIs. These included revenue factor, project profitability, net labour margin, backlog and overhead rate.
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