Hackers Accused in $100M Insider Trading Scheme

U.S. authorities said Tuesday they had broken up an “unprecedented” cybercrime ring that used information stolen from corporate news services to generate more than $100 million in insider trading profits.A complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission said two Ukrainian men hacked int...

By Matthew Heller • Aug. 12, 2015

Oil Glut to Continue Through 2016

With supplies still growing at “breakneck speed,” the global oil glut will continue though 2016 despite the strongest demand growth in five years, the International Energy Agency predicted Wednesday.While output growth from countries outside OPEC has shrunk from 2014 highs and contributed to the ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Aug. 12, 2015

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

How to Get More Value from Mobile Service Workers

To some employees of its customers, Fleetmatics may be viewed as something like Big Brother (that is, the societal-control regime in the Aldous Huxley novel Brave New World, not the current reality television show).The $230 million, publicly held company is in the fleet-management business. It ma...

By David McCann • Aug. 12, 2015

Guggenheim Settles Disclosure Case for $20M

A unit of Guggenheim Partners has agreed to pay $20 million to settle charges it failed to disclose that a senior executive borrowed $50 million from a client so he could participate in a Guggenheim deal.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday that after the executive obtained the...

By Matthew Heller • Aug. 10, 2015

Unemployment Rate Steady at 5.3% in July

While the U.S. unemployment rate in July was unchanged at 5.3%, 215,000 new jobs were created, the Labor Department said Friday, raising speculation that the Federal Reserve will begin raising interest rates this fall.Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected a seasonally adjusted 220,000 i...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Aug. 7, 2015

3 Things CFOs Should Know about Project Management

Project management — a structured approach to driving business results through a strategic focus on a company’s most important initiatives — is essential for any organization’s success. It’s also a powerful tool for CFOs, whether they act primarily as stewards of their organizations’ financial po...

By Mark A. Langley • Aug. 6, 2015

Service Sector Activity Increases 1.6% in July

Economic activity in the U.S. service sector rebounded in July from a five-month low, but service providers’ confidence about the year ahead dipped to its lowest level since June 2012, the Markit research firm reported Wednesday.The Markit U.S. Services Business Activity Index rose 1.6% in July t...

By Matthew Heller • Aug. 5, 2015

Oil Prices Slide To New Lows on ‘Bearish’ Data

The benchmark Brent crude fell 2.2% on Monday to $51.08 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures exchange as oil prices slid to new lows amid “bearish” supply and demand data are causing oil prices to slide to fresh lows.Demand from China — the world’s second-biggest oil consumer — may be slowing as the ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Aug. 3, 2015

Producer Prices Rise for Second Month in a Row

The Producer Price Index rose 0.4% in June, after advancing 0.5% in May, the Labor Department said Wednesday, indicating that inflationary pressures could be on the rise.Nearly 60% of the broad-based advance in June was attributable to energy prices, which climbed 2.4%, the agency said. The index...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • July 15, 2015

Sustainable Products Fatten Corporate Coffers

Many large companies are deriving a growing portion of their revenues from portfolios of products and services designed to enhance sustainability, according to new research by The Conference Board.Among a sample of 12 S&P Global 100 companies, aggregate revenues from such products and service...

By David McCann • July 8, 2015

Private Sector Hiring Hits Six-Month High

In another indication that the U.S. economy is picking up after a slow start to the year, the ADP Research Institute reported Wednesday that private-sector employment rose by 237,000 in June, the largest increase in six months.The latest ADP National Employment Report beat the median forecast amo...

By Matthew Heller • July 1, 2015

Battling the Slow-Growth Blues

In Part 2 of a video chat with Tom Conine (see Part 1 here), the Fairfield University finance professor discusses the financial havoc that being in a slow-growth environment can cause, compromising everything from cash generation to credit lines, price-to-earnings ratio, shareholder return, and w...

By David McCann • June 26, 2015

U.S. Consumer Spending Shows Biggest Gain in Six Years

U.S. consumer spending rose $105.9 billion, or 0.9% in May, the Commerce Dept. said Thursday – the largest percentage increase since August 2009. In April, spending rose 0.1%.Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending rising 0.7% in May. The figures reflect more purchases of cars...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • June 25, 2015

Producer Prices Rise, Easing Deflationary Concerns

U.S. producer prices had their biggest gain since September 2012, easing concerns about possible deflation and bolstering the possibility that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates later this year.The Labor Department said Friday its Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.5% in May,...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • June 12, 2015

Are Smaller Companies Poised to Self-fund Health Care?

The percentage of U.S. workers covered by health plans that are at least partially self-funded by their employers has been rising gradually for many years, reaching 61% in 2014, compared with 44% back in 1999, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.Based on anecdotal evidence and current event...

By David McCann • June 12, 2015

Hercules Technology Hires Mark Harris as CFO

Specialty finance lender Hercules Technology Growth Capital announced Wednesday it had appointed Mark Harris, formerly of Avenue Capital Group, to replace Jessica Baron as CFO.Baron’s departure became effective Tuesday. “While finding someone to replace Jessica was difficult, I am pleased to say ...

By Matthew Heller • June 10, 2015

Wage Pressures, Competition, Cyber-Security Temper U.S. Outlook

In the latest Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook survey, finance executives expect wage hikes of more than 3 percent over the next year at U.S. companies, with full-time employment increasing by more than 2 percent. Wage and employment growth is predicted to be strongest in the ...

By David W. Owens • June 10, 2015

Former UBS Finance Chief Named co-CEO of Deutsche Bank

John Cryan, the former UBS chief financial officer who led the Swiss bank from the brink of collapse during the financial crisis, is now charged with leading the recovery of beleaguered Deutsche Bank.Germany’s largest bank on Sunday appointed Cyran, 54, as co-chief executive, effective July 1, fo...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • June 8, 2015

CFOs on the Move: Week Ending June 5

Matthew J. Audette Broker-dealer LPL Financial has named Matthew J. Audette, CFO of  E*TRADE Financial, as its finance chief. He fills the role previously held by current LPL president Dan Arnold and will join the firm effective Sept. 28.At E*TRADE Financial, meanwhile, current chief risk officer...

By David Katz • June 5, 2015

Most Firms Boosting Community Investment

U.S. companies are increasing their community investment, making it an “essential measure” of business performance, according to a new survey.The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy reported that more than half (56%) of the CEOs it polled said their companies increased giving from 2012 t...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • June 3, 2015

OECD Cuts Growth Forecast On Q1 Slump

The world economy will expand 3.1% this year, lower than the earlier forecast of 3.7%, and lower than 2014’s growth of 3.3%, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Wednesday said in its semi-annual report.OECD Chief Economist Catherine Mann told Bloomberg the group mainly ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • June 3, 2015

Windows 10 Set for Release on July 29

Microsoft has set a July 29 release date for Windows 10, which includes features that may make this version of the operating software more appealing to business users than its predecessor.Rumors have been swirling around a July release date for Windows 10 since April. Microsoft released a “techni...

By Matthew Heller • June 1, 2015

April Data Show Modest Recovery From Q1 Slump

A flurry of economic reports released Monday on balance show an improving, though weak, economy in the beginning of the second quarter.Personal income increased $59.4 billion, or 0.4% in April, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. However, consumer spending was flat, falling $2.6 billion...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • June 1, 2015

Revised Data Show Q1 GDP Declined 0.7%

U.S. gross domestic product actually shrunk 0.7% in the first quarter, instead of rising 0.2% as the government initially estimated, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Friday.“The GDP estimate released today is based on more complete source data than were available for the ‘advance’ estima...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • May 29, 2015

Consumer Prices Rise Slightly in April

The Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.2% in March, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday.The all items index fell 0.2% for the 12 months ending April, a slightly larger downtick than the 0.1% decline for the 12 months ending March, accor...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • May 22, 2015