China Threatens Tariffs on $60B in U.S. Goods

The trade war between the United States and China intensified on Friday as Beijing threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods ranging from liquefied natural gas to foods containing chocolate.The Chinese move, which would affect $60 billion worth of U.S. imports, came just two days aft...

By Matthew Heller • Aug. 3, 2018

Fed Stays on Track for Gradual Rate Hikes

The U.S. Federal Reserve has held firm on interest rates after its latest policy meeting but signaled no deviation from its course of gradual rate hikes, possibly setting the stage for a confrontation with President Trump.The Fed has already bumped rates up twice this year, with the benchmark fed...

By Matthew Heller • Aug. 2, 2018

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

Consumer ‘Wants’ Push Up Spending in June

U.S. consumer spending grew 0.4% in June, according to the Commerce Department, pushed by spending on restaurants and accommodations. Automobile sales were also strong.“More spending on ‘wants,’ not ‘needs,’ is always a good sign of consumer confidence,” Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital ...

By William Sprouse • July 31, 2018

Ford Forms New Unit to Lead Drive Into AVs

Ford Motor is accelerating its push into the self-driving business by consolidating all its autonomous vehicle operations into a new subsidiary.Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC will include the automaker’s self-driving systems integration, AV research and advanced engineering, AV transportation-as-a-...

By Matthew Heller • July 31, 2018

Producer Prices Rise 3.4% Year on Year in June

U.S. producer prices rose in June at the highest yearly rate in almost seven years, suggesting inflationary pressures are increasing amid a fast-growing economy.The Labor Department said Wednesday the producer price index for final demand climbed 0.3% last month after a 0.5% gain in May. In the 1...

By Matthew Heller • July 11, 2018

Consumer Credit Jumps $24.5 Billion in May

Consumer borrowing grew in May at the fastest pace in a year and a half, driven by a particularly large increase in revolving credit.The U.S. Federal Reserve said rose $24.5 billion in May after an increase of $10 billion the previous month. It was the biggest monthly gain since a rise of $24.8 b...

By Matthew Heller • July 10, 2018

Job Gains Top 200,000 for 2nd Straight Month

The U.S. economy posted another month of solid employment growth in June and the labor force swelled as workers came off the sidelines to look for jobs.The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 213,000 new jobs last month, the second straight month that job growth has topped 200,0...

By Matthew Heller • July 6, 2018

Fed Looks Toward End of Years of Stimulus

The Federal Reserve could raise interest rates over the next year to a level that would no longer be “accommodative” of economic growth.According to the minutes of the Fed’s last policy meeting in June, many participants noted that if gradual increases in the target range for the federal funds ra...

By Matthew Heller • July 6, 2018

Trump Tariffs Backfire With Harley-Davidson Move

Harley-Davidson said Monday it would shift some production of its iconic bikes overseas to avoid retaliatory European Union tariffs that it said threaten the viability of its business in Europe.The company — which President Donald Trump last year hailed as a “true American icon” — said the EU tar...

By Matthew Heller • June 25, 2018

U.S. Business Inventories Rise 0.3% in April

U.S. business inventories rebounded in April from a decline the previous month, reflecting in part a significant rebound in retail inventories.The Commerce Department reported Thursday that inventories held by manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers grew 0.3% month-on-month after slipping 0.1% ...

By Matthew Heller • June 14, 2018

Small-Company CFOs Need Mid-year Check-ups

Like any small-business CFO, I am taxed with a multitude of competing priorities. Working in a highly regulated industry like financial services only compounds this reality.However, given today’s volatility and complexity, a mid-year business review should be a priority for any finance chief at s...

By Heather Hall • June 14, 2018

Fed Raises Rates, Expects 2 More Hikes in 2018

The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate for the second time this year, maintaining a gradual pace of increases aimed at keeping the U.S. economy from overheating.The Fed on Wednesday lifted the federal funds rate, which helps determine rates for mortgages, credit cards and...

By Matthew Heller • June 14, 2018

Data Security Distracts CFOs from ‘Day Jobs’

If only CFOs could fully get back to doing their day jobs of helping set and execute on company strategies and overseeing financial reporting activities. Instead, they’re stuck spending way more time than they’d prefer on keeping criminals at bay.Concern about data security is at an all-time high...

By David McCann • June 13, 2018

CPI Posts Biggest Annual Gain Since Early 2012

The steady climb in U.S. inflation continued in May as the rising cost of gas helped push consumer prices to their biggest annual gain in more than six years.As The Wall Street Journal reports, “Inflation, long sluggish in the wake of the 2007-09 recession, picked up in recent months,” with the F...

By Matthew Heller • June 12, 2018

U.S. Productivity Revised Down to 0.4% for Q1

U.S. worker productivity grew at a slower pace in the first quarter than originally thought, continuing a sluggish trend that threatens the Trump administration’s target for economic growth.The Labor Department reported Wednesday that the January-March productivity increase had been revised down ...

By Matthew Heller • June 6, 2018

How to Overcome Obstacles to Strategy Execution

Some companies tap the finance department mostly for raising capital, closing books, and implementing controls. And it’s true, of course, that a key function of finance is ensuring accurate reporting and preservation of capital and assets.Lisa Kaplowitz However, the CFO and his or her team can an...

By Lisa Kaplowitz • May 23, 2018

Industrial CFO Leads Advanced Analytics Drive

This is the second of two articles based on a conversation with Donald Allan, CFO of Fortune 500 toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker.In the first part of our report, Don Allan talked about two types of transformation that he and his finance team are executing.Both are technological in nature. On...

By David McCann • May 21, 2018

Ex-Healthcare CFO Accused of $309M Fraud

The former CFO and two other former executives of Constellation Healthcare Technologies have been charged with duping an investor into acquiring the medical-billing company for $309 million by misrepresenting its financial condition.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday th...

By Matthew Heller • May 17, 2018

U.S. Industrial Output Rises 0.7% in April

U.S. industrial production rose slightly faster than expected in April, a third straight monthly increase that was supported by gains in every major market group.The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that output expanded 0.7% last month, just topping Wall Street expectations of a 0.6% increase. Desp...

By Matthew Heller • May 16, 2018

Kellogg Shuts Down Cereal Plant in Venezuela

Venezuela on Wednesday reactivated a Kellogg plant under work control, a day after the cereal maker joined an exodus of U.S. companies from the crisis-wracked country.Kellogg cited the “current economic and social deterioration” in Venezuela in announcing Tuesday the closure of its plant in the c...

By Matthew Heller • May 16, 2018

U.S. Consumer Prices Edge up 0.2% in April

The steady rise in U.S. inflation resumed in April, though the increase in core consumer prices was tempered by a slowdown in the growth of healthcare costs.The Labor Department said the consumer price index gained 0.2% last month after slipping 0.1% in March. Gasoline prices rebounded with a 3.%...

By Matthew Heller • May 11, 2018

U.S. Blasts China’s Free Trade Posture at WTO

The tensions between the U.S. and China erupted at the World Trade Organization on Tuesday, with Washington’s envoy deriding China’s posture as “the self-proclaimed defender of free trade.”At a meeting in Geneva of the WTO’s General Council, China’s ambassador took the floor to accuse the U.S. of...

By Matthew Heller • May 9, 2018

Delivering the Goods

Restaurant franchisors sell two things: food and franchises. But while the process of vetting potential franchisees has largely remained the same for many years, the process of distributing food to customers is amidst a foundational change.Within just the past two years, the demand for and availa...

By David McCann • May 8, 2018

Iran Deal Concerns Push Oil Prices Above $70

Global oil prices surged on Monday, continuing a rally driven in part by the possibility that the U.S. will reinstate sanctions against OPEC member Iran.President Donald Trump will announce Tuesday whether he will pull the U.S. out of the deal with Iran that lifted sanctions in return for Tehran’...

By Matthew Heller • May 7, 2018

U.S. Trade Deficit Falls 15% to $49 Billion

The U.S. trade deficit fell 15% to a six-month low in March on a surge in exports, ending a streak of increases that had weighed on economic growth.The Commerce Department said the deficit declined to $49 billion in March from $57.7 billion in February, the highest level since October 2008. Econo...

By Matthew Heller • May 4, 2018