Treasurers face multiple challenges when it comes to short-term investments. Large corporates have oodles of cash, but the returns they're earning at the short end are minimal. And money market funds, typically one of the main repositories for companies' short-term cash, could become less attractive for corporates if the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) goes through with some of the regulatory changes it has proposed.

A recent survey by PwC suggests that while corporate treasurers are exploring ways to achieve higher returns and prepare for possible regulatory changes, for the most part they continue to take a traditional approach to short-term investing.

“Treasurers are clearly looking for ideas and opportunity for how to get more bang for the buck out of their investment portfolios,” said Peter Frank, a principal at PwC and leader of its Corporate Treasury Solutions practice.