New ECB Chief Urges Domestic Demand Push

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has called on euro zone members to boost domestic demand to withstand disruptions in world trade and keep growth trajectories on course.In her first major speech since becoming ECB chief at the start of this month, Lagarde singled out Germany, say...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 25, 2019

PayPal Sweetens Offerings With $4B Honey Buy

PayPal has agreed to buy the owner of browser plugin Honey for $4 billion in a move to extend its interaction with consumers beyond the checkout pages on e-commerce sites.The acquisition of Honey Science Corp. is the largest in PayPal’s story and, according to The Financial Times, is “its most am...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 21, 2019

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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

Kirin Unit to Buy Fat Tire Beer Maker New Belgium

A company owned by Japan’s Kirin beer conglomerate has agreed to acquire New Belgium Brewing, marking another major investment by a traditional brewer in craft beer.Lion Little World Beverages, the largest brewer in Australia, will pay an undisclosed cash amount for the Fort Collins, Colo.-based ...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 20, 2019

Coty Makes $600M Beauty Bet on Kylie Jenner

Coty Inc. has agreed to pay $600 million for a majority stake in Kylie Jenner’s high-flying cosmetics startup, betting that the billionaire celebrity’s appeal to a younger demographic can help revive its beauty business.Coty’s acquisition of 51% of Kylie Cosmetics gives it access to two of the fa...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 18, 2019

How SMEs Can Gird Against a Downturn

In times of economic downturns, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often the last to get paid. With already limited cash flow, a potential recession could spell serious danger for the average SME.This becomes an issue not only for those businesses, but for enterprises and communities a...

By David McCann • Nov. 15, 2019

U.S. Producer Prices Post Biggest Gain in 6 Months

U.S. producer prices rose by the most in six months in October, reflecting in part a big jump in healthcare costs, but the underlying inflation trend remained muted.The Labor Department reported Thursday that the producer price index for final demand rose 0.4% last month, the biggest increase sin...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 14, 2019

Go For a Walk and Boost the Economy

As most people know, exercise is a healthy activity. It lowers the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer, and diabetes, and has been associated with positive effects on mental health.Oh, and more exercise would help the economy, too.If all adults aged 18 to 64 worl...

By David McCann • Nov. 14, 2019

Optimism Plummets for 2020 M&A Market

Expectations for U.S. M&A activity in 2020 have nosedived from those that prevailed late last year looking ahead to 2019, according to the latest annual study by the law firm Dykema Gossett.After the 12-month outlook barely wavered for three straight years, from 2015-2017, optimism soared in ...

By David McCann • Nov. 12, 2019

Anheuser-Busch Raises Bet on Craft Beers

Anheuser-Busch is expanding its push into craft beers by buying out Craft Brew Alliance in a deal that values the owner of Kona Brewing at about $321 million.CBA, whose brands also include Omission Brewing Co., Redhook Brewery and Cisco Brewer, is the nation’s 12th-largest brewer, producing more ...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 12, 2019

Adidas to Close Robot-Staffed ‘Speedfactories’

Adidas is closing both of its robot-powered “Speedfactories,” abandoning a strategy aimed at bringing sneaker production closer to Western markets and reducing reliance on Asian suppliers.The footwear giant had described the futuristic factories it opened in Ansbach, Germany, in 2017 and Atlanta ...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 11, 2019

Blackstone Makes $3B Match with Bumble Owner

Private equity giant Blackstone has found a match for its new growth-investing business, taking a controlling stake in the dating apps startup MagicLab.The MagicLab stable of brands — which includes Bumble, Badoo, Chappy, and Lumen — was put together by Russian-British billionaire Andrey Andreev,...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 11, 2019

SEC Proposal Protects Executives, Hamstrings Investors

Delivering what could be considered a body blow to investor rights, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday proposed rule changes that would limit the ability of public-company investors to hold corporate insiders accountable.Under the proposed rules (see here and here), companies would...

By David McCann • Nov. 6, 2019

Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot to Create No. 4 Automaker

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot have agreed to a merger, sacrificing their independence as a means to reduce the costs of shifting to electric and autonomous vehicles.The proposed combination would create the world’s fourth-largest automaker, with unit sales of 8.7 million vehicles, combine...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 1, 2019

Fed Cuts Interest Rates Again in ‘Insurance’ Move

The U.S. Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for the third time this year as “insurance against ongoing risks” but signaled it would need to see economic deterioration before any further cuts.The Fed’s Open Market Committee voted 8-2 on Wednesday to cut the benchmark federal funds rate another...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 31, 2019

U.S. Economic Growth Slows to 1.9% in Q3

U.S. economic growth slowed slightly in the third quarter but beat economists’ expectations as continued consumer spending helped offset another decline in business investment.In its initial estimate of third-quarter growth, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday that gross domestic product g...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 30, 2019

U.S. Budget Deficit Widens to $984B in 2019

The U.S. budget deficit widened to just under $1 trillion in fiscal 2019 — the highest level in seven years — reflecting reduced tax revenue and increased spending on defense and entitlement programs.The Treasury Department said on Friday that the deficit rose 26% to $984 billion, which was 4.6% ...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 25, 2019

UK Lawmakers Reject Fast Track for Brexit Bill

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to extricate the country from the European Union is on hold after he lost a critical vote in Parliament.Lawmakers on Tuesday granted preliminary approval to the Brexit deal that Johnson thrashed out with the EU last week. But they then balked at putting...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 23, 2019

Howard Hughes to Shed Overhead, Sell Assets

After a four-month strategic review, real-estate developer Howard Hughes Corp. announced a “transformation” plan that includes cutting overhead by as much as $50 million and selling about $2 billion of non-core assets.The Dallas-based company’s shares fell more than 18% to $128.38 in after-hours ...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 22, 2019

‘Alternative’ Data Drives S&P Global’s Growth

In a world increasingly driven by data, S&P Global could hardly be better positioned. The $6 billion company offers a broad range of data, ratings, analytics, and benchmarks products to players in the capital and commodities markets worldwide.Most of the data in the world is “unstructured.” G...

By David McCann • Oct. 18, 2019

Insolvencies Are on the Rise in Western Europe

Corporate insolvencies are on the rise globally, but nowhere as much as Western Europe, which is expected to see a 3% uptick in 2019. This marks the first increase in insolvencies in the region in six years. Slowing economic growth, slowing global trade growth, and uncertainty surrounding U.S. tr...

By David McCann • Oct. 17, 2019

IMF Warns of $19 Trillion Corporate Debt Risk

Nearly 40% of total corporate debt in major economies, or $19 trillion, could be at risk from another global recession, exceeding levels seen during the 2008-2009 crisis, the International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday.In the latest half-yearly update of its Global Financial Stability Report, th...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 16, 2019

IMF Cuts 2019 World Growth Forecast to 3%

The International Monetary Fund downgraded its economic growth forecast on Tuesday, saying the outlook remains “precarious” amid “rising trade and geopolitical tensions.”In the latest half-yearly World Economic Outlook, the IMF said it expected global growth to be 3% in 2019 — the slowest pace si...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 15, 2019

U.S. Adds Chinese Startups to Trade Blacklist

The U.S. has added 28 Chinese organizations including video surveillance giant Hikvision to a trade blacklist in a move that may further escalate trade tensions between the two countries.Under the action announced Monday by the Commerce Department, 20 Chinese public security bureaus and eight com...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 8, 2019

Weekly Jobless Claims Rise Slightly to 219,000

The number of Americans making initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose slightly in the week that ended Sept. 28, suggesting employment is continuing to grow at a moderate rate.The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased 4,000 to a sea...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 3, 2019

U.S. Gets OK to Put up to $7.5B in Tariffs on EU

The World Trade Organization has authorized the U.S. to retaliate against the European Union over illegal subsidies to Airbus in a decision that may further escalate trade tensions.A WTO arbitration panel ruled Wednesday that the U.S. could levy import tariffs on up to $7.5 billion worth of Europ...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 2, 2019