The new year is still young, but recruiters I’ve spoken with already have an idea about what will matter most for CFOs looking for their next gig.

Happy New Year! As CFO Briefing kicks off 2025, finance chiefs discuss the themes of the year ahead, from Trump and tariffs to dealmaking and AI.

With Trump’s proposed tariffs looming large, I spoke to European CFOs about their outlook for the final edition of Bloomberg’s CFO Briefing in 2024.

Siemens plans to sell a €2.5 billion ($2.6 billion) stake in Siemens Energy to help fund its $10 billion acquisition of software maker Altair. The company is looking to divest a roughly 6% holding by the end of September, Chief Financial Officer Ralf Thomas told us in an interview for Bloomberg News.

When ordinary folks need cash, they go to an ATM. Lately, CFOs looking to raise funds for their companies are doing the same. The ATMs being tapped by finance chiefs aren’t money-spouting machines, they’re at-the-market stock sales – but they serve the same purpose, providing companies with a flexible tool for accessing cash.

With 2025 just a few weeks away, CFOs are firming up their outlooks and putting finishing touches on budgeting and spending plans, including how much to allocate capital for dealmaking. The M&A climate improved this year after a weak 2023, and finance chiefs expect that trend to accelerate in the months ahead.

US executives turned significantly more optimistic about the economy and prospects for their own businesses after Donald Trump won the presidential election, with finance chiefs and other leaders expecting stronger growth in 2025 even as they see inflation as a risk, two surveys showed.

Saudi Aramco’s finance chief talks about the company’s debt and dividend spending plans in the latest edition of CFO Briefing.

Saudi Aramco plans to take on more debt and will focus on “value and growth” for its dividend over the long term, the company’s finance chief told me in an exclusive interview for Bloomberg News.

As global leaders meet to discuss efforts to address climate change, CFOs, too, face tough decisions around sustainability.