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2026 C-Suite Stress Index: Midyear Report

Executives facing heightened risks, uncertainty halfway through the year

Welcome to the 2026 C-Suite Stress Index: Midyear Report. In partnership with Wakefield Research, we surveyed 625 U.S. executives to gauge how they feel about their businesses’ prospects halfway through the year. This survey comes on the heels of our 2026 C-Suite Stress Index, published in February, which polled 1,250 executives about their outlook heading into the year.

The results of these surveys reveal a startling trend. At the end of 2025, many executives were optimistic about the future of their businesses, with many expecting their businesses to thrive. By May, when our midyear survey was conducted, that outlook had changed—largely due to geopolitical, economic, and operational threats that unfolded during the first part of the year.

Take a deeper look

Download the full midyear report to learn more about the risks executives are worried about—and the solutions they’re pursuing.

Download the report

What’s changed for business leaders in 2026?

The overall business environment has become increasingly volatile and complex during the first half of 2026. Executives have been forced to adjust how they manage their companies, including their approach to planning and risk management.

At the same time, world events have exacerbated established business concerns like tariffs, trade uncertainty, and labor shortages—leading executives to cite these threats at higher rates than they did just months ago, as illustrated by the percentage point (pp) increases in the chart to the right.

Key findings

82%

Are more concerned about their businesses' futures

This is a notable change from the end of 2025, when 54% of executives were confident their company would not only survive, but thrive, in 2026.

61%

Have been negatively impacted by world events

Leaders have felt the strain caused by direct impacts of these events, like shipping delays; indirect impacts, such as higher gas prices; and, in many cases, both.

88%

Find accurate risk management more difficult

Geopolitical events are happening so quickly that the majority of executives struggle to accurately assess risks in real time.

Frequently asked questions

How are geopolitical events affecting U.S. businesses?

Geopolitical events are negatively affecting nearly two-thirds of companies. In fact, for a strong majority of executives, these events are unfolding so quickly that accurate risk management has become difficult.

The events of 2026 have forced them to adjust their approach to planning and risk management. These events have also exacerbated long-standing business concerns like tariffs, trade uncertainty, or labor shortages.

How have executives’ concerns changed since the end of 2025?

In general, the majority of executives are less optimistic about their business’s outlook than they were at the end of 2025. Their level of concern about long-existing threats, such as labor shortages and economic pressures, has also increased.

How are companies changing their risk-management strategies?

Due to the quickly changing risk landscape, nearly all executives (98%) say they’ve adjusted long-term planning and risk-managements, including planning in shorter intervals (70%) and building more contingencies into their planning process (61%).

What is the Sentry C-Suite Stress Index?

The 2026 Sentry C-Suite Stress Index is a survey commissioned by Sentry Insurance and conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,250 U.S. executives between December 4 and December 16, 2025. The report explores how executives felt about their business’s prospects heading into the 2026 and what their main concerns were.

In order to participate in the study, respondents had to belong to an organization with at least 10 full-time employees and to be either the owner of the company or hold one of the following titles: CEO, CFO, or CRO (Chief Risk Officer).

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