LISTEN: The CFO and The Cloud-Storage Business Case

How can companies prepare to switch from traditional data storage to outsourced cloud storage? What should be their key concerns and areas of focus? Jimit Arora, vice president at Everest Group, offers some insight for companies looking to embark on or deepen their relationship with the cloud.

By CFO Editorial Staff • March 21, 2016

Not Just Another Jewelry Company

“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” says Jayne Fitzpatrick-Conway, the CFO of Alex and Ani, a supplier and seller of bangle bracelets, when asked about her favorite kind of jewelry.Indeed, Fitzpatrick-Conway, a Harvard MBA with a consulting background at Bain and Co., admits to having a particul...

By David Katz • March 17, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

Tax policy shifts: What CFOs need to know to stay ahead

Discover how evolving tax policies are creating new opportunities and challenges for CFOs.

By CFO.com staff

Activists at the Gate

Activist investors are bigger and hungrier than ever. Here’s how to keep them at bay.

By Edward Teach • March 17, 2016

LivingSocial Lays Off 280 in Shift From Daily Deals

LivingSocial said Wednesday it would cut half of its workforce as it shifts away from its money-losing daily deals business toward card-linked products.The company is laying off 160 employees at both its Washington, D.C. headquarters and remote locations, and over the next two months will shutter...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • March 16, 2016

U.S. Industrial Output Falls 0.5% in February

U.S. industrial production fell in February as significant declines in the mining and utilities sectors offset a second straight increase in manufacturing.Output dropped 0.5% last month after increasing a revised 0.8% in January,  the Federal Reserve said Wednesday. Economists surveyed by the Wal...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • March 16, 2016

MF Global Investors Settle Fraud Claims for $29M

MF Global Holdings investors have reached a a $29.8 million settlement with five financial institutions that underwrote the sale of its bonds, apparently concluding more than four years of litigation over the 2011 collapse of the futures brokerage.The settlement in the securities class action bri...

By Matthew Heller • March 15, 2016

U.S. Consumers Expect 2.7% Rise in Inflation

U.S. consumers’ expectations for inflation increased in February, with a particularly sharp rebound in gas prices expected over the next year, according to a new survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.Consumers polled for the February 2016 Survey of Consumer Expectations on average expect...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • March 14, 2016

Oil Prices May Have Bottomed Out, IEA Says

The worst-case scenarios for oil prices may not materialize after all, as OPEC production fell in February and Iran did not pump as much new oil into the market as expected, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.Prices have risen to more than $40 a barrel in recent days, up more than 40%...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • March 11, 2016

U.S. Wholesale Stocks Climb 0.3% in January

U.S. wholesale inventories rose unexpectedly in January as sales tumbled, suggesting that inventory overhang will continue to be a drag on economic growth.The Commerce Department said Wednesday that wholesale stocks increased 0.3% after being unchanged in December. Economists polled by Reuters ha...

By Matthew Heller • March 9, 2016

Red Skies and Blue Oceans

The results of the Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook survey for the first quarter of 2016 bring to mind the cautionary saying, “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.” Finance and corporate executives in the survey are anxiously scanning the horizon for any signs of the red ...

By David W. Owens • March 9, 2016

U.S. Beats Expectations With 242,000 Job Gain

While other countries may be showing signs of a real slowdown, the U.S. continues to add jobs, with better-than expected gains in February.Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 242,000 in February, and the unemployment rate held at 4.9%, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists on ave...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • March 4, 2016

Three Reasons to Shed Your Idle Assets

It’s psychologically difficult for management to sell idle assets. Senior executives often rationalize the decision to hold onto assets well beyond their productive usefulness with seemingly valid reasons. But upon further review, often these are merely excuses.Three particularly counterproductiv...

By Marwaan Karame • March 1, 2016

Global Government Debt to Rise 2% in 2016

The amount of global government debt continues to rise, with the bulk of the growth being fueled by the U.S., China, Brazil and India, according to a Standard & Poor’s report cited by Reuters.The rating agency said the stock of global government debt was expected to rise 2% to $42.4 trillion ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Feb. 29, 2016

Listen: The Changing Role of the Professional Services CFO

CFOs in the professional services space are being asked to expand their roles and responsibilities to include strategic planning, growth, risk management, regulatory compliance, technology infrastructure, human capital, and acquisition due diligence. Finance executives are being asked the questio...

By CFO Editorial Staff • Feb. 29, 2016

Consumer Spending Increases 0.5% in January

January economic data posted Friday by the Commerce Department was positive on a number of fronts: consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in eight months as incomes continue to post gains, and inflation is starting to firm up.Personal spending rose 0.5% in January, a sharp acceleration from D...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Feb. 26, 2016

Eurozone Growth Slows for 2nd Straight Month

A measure of Eurozone economic activity declined in February to its lowest level in just over a year, increasing the odds of more stimulus from the European Central Bank in March.Markit’s Eurozone composite purchasing managers index (PMI) fell from 53.6 in January to 52.7, the lowest since Januar...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Feb. 22, 2016

Listen: How CFOs Can Boost Efficiency and Performance with Automation Technology

With so many methods of automation at their fingertips, CFOs are interested in learning more about business-process management and workflow tools. Rebecca Wettemann, Vice President of Nucleus Research joined Mary Beth Findlay, Editorial Director with CFO Publishing to discuss the latest in automa...

By CFO Editorial Staff • Feb. 22, 2016

U.S. Housing Starts Drop 3.8% in January

U.S. housing starts fell unexpectedly to a three-month low in January but economists said the decline likely does not indicate any long-term weakness in the housing market.Groundbreaking fell 3.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.099 million units, the lowest rate since October, the U.S....

By Matthew Heller • Feb. 17, 2016

Square Stock up 8% on News of Visa’s Stake

This article originally stated an incorrect month and year for Square’s IPO. It has been corrected.Visa has disclosed the size of its stake in Square, fueling speculation about its plans with the mobile payments startup in which it invested in 2011.In a regulatory filing, Visa said it acquired so...

By Matthew Heller • Feb. 16, 2016

U.S. Retail Sales Start Year on Strong Note

Stock market turmoil and economic instability apparently didn’t faze shoppers in January as retail sales rose more than expected, boosted by continuing low gas prices.Spending at retail stores and restaurants rose 0.2%, ahead of the 0.1% increase predicted by economists surveyed by the Wall Stree...

By Matthew Heller • Feb. 12, 2016

January Data Still Show Solid Labor Market

Winter weather slowed U.S. job growth last month, though the unemployment rate still fell to an eight-year low and wages rose for workers.Nonfarm payrolls rose by 151,000 jobs in January, following revised gains of 262,000 in December and 280,000 in November, the Labor Department said Friday. The...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Feb. 5, 2016

Microsoft Makes AI Play With Deal for SwiftKey

Microsoft is ramping up its commitment to artificial intelligence by acquiring SwiftKey, the U.K. developer of an app that uses predictive technology to simplify typing on mobile keyboards.Terms of the deal were not disclosed but the Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, said M...

By Matthew Heller • Feb. 3, 2016

How to Optimize Project Portfolio Management

All CFOs realize the value of actively managing their organization’s investment portfolio, but those who understand the value of managing their project portfolio the same way can add insight to discussions in the boardroom about maintaining competitive advantage.Mark A. Langley Project portfolio ...

By Mark A. Langley • Feb. 3, 2016

U.S. Economic Growth Slows to 0.7% in Q4

The U.S. economy showed sluggish growth in the fourth quarter but the dip may not necessarily foreshadow a long-term slowdown.Gross domestic product increased at a 0.7% annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Friday, just below the 0.8% rate economists had expected. The economy had advanced ...

By Matthew Heller • Jan. 29, 2016

CEOs, CFOs Misaligned on Reinvesting Cost Savings?

You might think that after a decade or two as a staple corporate activity, cost-reduction efforts would have already squeezed out the vast majority of excess spending.But quite the opposite appears to be true, given the priority companies are still putting on cost containment, primarily because o...

By David McCann • Jan. 28, 2016