In Chief Executive’s July 2025 CEO Confidence Index, business leaders are reporting their highest levels of optimism so far this year. The index shows CEOs now rate their 12-month outlook for business conditions at 6.8 out of 10, an increase from 6.3 in June and a notable rebound from months of caution.

This surge reflects a turning point as companies begin to look beyond immediate economic headwinds toward longer-term opportunity and strategic reinvestment.

This boost in executive sentiment arrives at a time when companies are finalizing budget plans and investment priorities for 2026. As more CEOs prepare to increase capital spending and hiring, CIOs are positioned to help lead their organizations through a new phase of technological and operational transformation.

IT leaders must be ready to respond to higher expectations, tighter alignment with business growth goals, and a more strategic seat at the executive table. The survey signals a real opening for CIOs to help shape the next era of enterprise resilience and competitiveness.

Why It Matters: As executive optimism grows, CIOs are presented with a unique window to accelerate key technology initiatives. With greater appetite for investment, IT departments are likely to face increasing demand to support business expansion, streamline operations, and enable innovation. CIOs who align their strategies with CEO confidence trends will be best positioned to secure funding, drive transformation, and cement technology’s role in achieving enterprise-wide goals.

• CEO Confidence in 2025 Business Conditions Climbs to New High: The CEO Confidence Index showed a 0.5-point jump from June to July, reaching a score of 6.8 out of 10 for future economic conditions. This reflects growing belief in the stability and resilience of the U.S. economy in the months ahead. For CIOs, this is a signal that leadership is moving into a more forward-looking, growth-oriented mindset, opening doors for longer-term IT projects such as enterprise cloud migrations, data platform overhauls, and customer experience enhancements that require upfront investment but deliver strategic returns.

• Post-Election Clarity Supports Long-Term Planning: The resolution of the U.S. presidential election has removed a layer of uncertainty that had previously stalled strategic planning. CEOs now feel more confident in forecasting demand, planning M&A activity, and pursuing digital growth. CIOs can capitalize on this environment by proposing IT initiatives that depend on regulatory stability, such as data privacy infrastructure, ESG reporting tools, and cross-border data architectures. It’s also an ideal time to revisit multi-year digital roadmaps that may have been paused in 2024.

• Strong Expectations for Revenue and Profit Growth: A substantial majority of CEOs, 74% and 68%, respectively, expect revenue and profit growth over the next 12 months. This confidence often translates into larger IT budgets and appetite for bold transformation initiatives. CIOs should be proactive in identifying where technology can reduce operational costs, expand digital channels, and improve customer experience, thereby directly contributing to the top and bottom lines. Demonstrating how IT investments align with these financial goals will be essential for CIOs seeking greater influence.

• Increased Capital Spending and Hiring Plans: More than half of CEOs plan to raise capital expenditures (55%) and expand their workforce (59%). For CIOs, these plans imply growing pressure to support enterprise scalability, from cloud capacity and cybersecurity readiness to internal systems that enable seamless hiring, onboarding, and collaboration. IT leaders should ensure their infrastructure, tools, and support models are ready to handle increased demand without compromising performance or user experience. Automation, AIOps, and workforce enablement technologies will be especially important.

• Tech-Focused Sectors Lead the Confidence Gains: The report highlights healthcare, travel/leisure, and technology as the sectors with the most notable increases in optimism. For CIOs in these industries, the message is clear: the bar for digital excellence is rising quickly. In healthcare, this could mean greater focus on AI-driven diagnostics and patient data platforms; in travel, the emphasis may be on personalization and omnichannel service delivery; and in tech, it points to a need for constant innovation and operational agility. CIOs in these spaces must lead with both speed and vision to stay ahead.

Go Deeper -> CEO Optimism Nears 2025 High In July Poll – Chief Executive