Microsoft expands Copilot in Excel for finance professionals

Microsoft announced on 25 June 2026 a suite of updates to its Copilot in Excel aimed at financial teams. The enhancements introduce a library of finance‑specific skills that automate repeatable processes such as building discounted cash‑flow (DCF) models, closing books, refreshing monthly reporting models, and preparing variance analyses. Users can access sample finance skills or create custom skills by authoring an open‑standard markdown file stored in OneDrive. Developers and partners will soon be able to publish and deploy these skills through the Microsoft Marketplace and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

New financial data connectors

The update broadens the range of financial data connectors beyond the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Moody’s connectors released in May. Added connectors include:

  • CB Insights for private‑company intelligence
  • Daloopa for SEC filing data
  • FactSet for institutional financial data (currently in preview, slated for general availability in July 2026)
  • Morningstar for investment research
  • PitchBook for private‑capital‑market data
  • S&P Global Deterministic Retrieval for structured API‑driven access to S&P Global data

These connectors enable users to pull external financial datasets directly into Excel worksheets.

Traceability and attribution features

Microsoft introduced a Plan with Copilot feature that outlines the specific ranges, worksheets, formulas, and assumptions the tool intends to modify before execution. Every edit made by Copilot is traceable, with hyperlinks back to the affected cells, and changes are attributed to Copilot in the Show Changes pane alongside other collaborators.

Availability timeline

All new features—personalization, workbook rules, pre‑built skills, federated Copilot connectors, Plan with Copilot, and Copilot attribution—are generally available to Microsoft 365 Copilot customers across Excel for Web, Windows, and Mac. Custom skills are currently accessible via the Insiders channel for Windows and Mac and will roll out to general availability next month (July 2026). Partner‑built skills are expected to become available in Q3 2026. Microsoft is collaborating with partners such as LSEG, Ramp, Rogo, samaya.ai, Velixo, and Vena to develop and deliver these capabilities.

Partner ecosystem

The announcement highlights that developers and partners can build and deploy skills through the Microsoft Marketplace and Microsoft 365 Admin Center, reinforcing a broader ecosystem for finance‑focused AI extensions within Excel.