Firms Hedging Against Risk of No-Deal Brexit

Industrial companies are preparing for a possible no-deal Brexit by boosting inventories, relocating warehouses, and adjusting supply chains, according to S&P Global Ratings.The credit rating agency said its analysis of corporate earnings calls showed a “substantial pre-Brexit surge in invent...

By Matthew Heller • Feb. 12, 2019

Poor Credit History? No Problem: E-Commerce Firm

With about 80% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, a start-up e-commerce firm like Zebit makes perfect sense from a market-demand standpoint.The company targets consumers with no access to credit who need short-term cash to make purchases larger than their paychecks can handle. It’s in that...

By David McCann • Feb. 5, 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

Shifting Business Models Vex Hospital CFOs

Fundamental changes in how health care is delivered and paid for have been evolving, albeit very slowly, for years. Yet CFOs in the field, already short on confidence in their ability to adapt, are apparently getting even less confident.In a new study, only 13% of finance executives at hospitals,...

By David McCann • Feb. 1, 2019

U.S. Employers Add 304,000 Jobs in January

U.S. employers hired the most workers in 11 months in January, indicating the labor market remains strong despite fears of an economic slowdown.The Labor Department said Friday the economy added 304,000 jobs last month, reaching the milestone of 100 straight months of employment gains. The unempl...

By Matthew Heller • Feb. 1, 2019

Mismatch: Finance Roles’ Importance vs. Performance

When it comes to evaluating the performance of corporate finance organizations, finance executives might be their own harshest critics.New research reveals striking disparities between the relative importance of a dozen roles that finance plays, and finance’s performance of those roles, as judged...

By David McCann • Jan. 31, 2019

Companies’ Stated Cash Intentions Merit Skepticism

Will companies at long last begin to spend down their cash holdings rather than let their piles continue to swell, as they’ve been doing for several years?If you believe what a majority of companies are saying, the answer is yes. But should you believe them? Not necessarily.In the Association for...

By David McCann • Jan. 29, 2019

White House Doubles Shutdown Cost Estimate

The Trump administration doubled its estimate of the costs of the partial government shutdown to account for the impact of reduced spending on economic growth.Citing an unnamed administration official, CNBC reports the White House originally expected the shutdown would subtract 0.1 percentage poi...

By Matthew Heller • Jan. 15, 2019

U.S. Consumer Prices Drop 0.1% in December

U.S. consumer prices dropped at the end of last year — the first decline in nine months — suggesting underlying price pressures remain moderate even though wages are rising.The Labor Department reported Friday that the Consumer Price Index dipped 0.1% in December after being unchanged in November...

By Matthew Heller • Jan. 11, 2019

Shareholder Engagement Disclosures Shot Up in 2018

Are companies paying more attention to investor concerns? Indeed they are, at least by one measure.The proportion of the largest U.S. companies that disclosed their shareholder engagement practices zoomed up in 2018, according to a new report from Equilar, a provider of corporate governance solut...

By David McCann • Dec. 27, 2018

U.S. Consumer Confidence Slumps in December

Consumer confidence in the United States fell for a second straight month in December, reflecting concerns over the pace of economic growth, the Conference Board said Thursday.According to the Conference Board’s latest monthly survey, its consumer confidence index slumped to 128.1 in December fro...

By Matthew Heller • Dec. 27, 2018

Durable Goods Orders Rise 0.8% in November

Core capital goods orders fell for the second time in three months in November, indicating that the slowdown in business investment has continued into the fourth quarter.The Commerce Department reported Friday that orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, known as core capital good...

By Matthew Heller • Dec. 21, 2018

Fed Raises Benchmark Rate from 2.25% to 2.5%

The U.S. Federal Reserve raised the benchmark interest rate for the fourth time this year but its continued confidence in the U.S. economy did little to calm skittish financial markets.With Wednesday’s hike, the federal funds rate will now sit in a range from 2.25% to 2.5%, bordering the lower en...

By Matthew Heller • Dec. 20, 2018

U.S. Budget Gap Rises to $205B in November

The U.S. budget deficit last month was the largest ever recorded in November though the Trump administration’s tariffs boosted customs revenue.The Treasury Department reported that the U.S. ran a deficit of $205 billion last month, an increase of $66 billion, or 48%, from a year ago.The gain was ...

By Matthew Heller • Dec. 13, 2018

U.S. Consumer Prices Flat Amid Cheaper Gas

U.S. consumer prices were unchanged in November amid a sharp drop in gasoline prices, lending support to expectations that the Federal Reserve will ease monetary tightening next year.November’s flat Consumer Price Index reading was the weakest in eight months and followed a 0.3% percent increase ...

By Matthew Heller • Dec. 12, 2018

U.S. Job Growth Slows to 155,000 in November

U.S. employers added fewer jobs than expected in November but the labor market continues to expand at a fast enough rate to keep unemployment at the lowest level since 1969.The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls increased by 155,000 for the month, below economists’ expectation...

By Matthew Heller • Dec. 7, 2018

Most Consumers Are Leery of the Sharing Economy

Companies that are weighing whether to enter the “sharing economy” in some fashion may be challenged to win customers’ trust.In a new survey commissioned by Lloyd’s of London, 58% of U.S. and U.K. consumers said the risks of using sharing services outweighed the benefits. That’s despite the fact ...

By David McCann • Dec. 5, 2018

Metric of the Month: Business Entity Revenue Per Employee

When organizations make hiring decisions, they’re counting on the people they bring onboard to be well worth the investment. Whether an employee is in a revenue-generating role or serving in an administrative or support capacity, the ratio of revenue generated to each employee can be a key indica...

By Perry D. Wiggins • Dec. 5, 2018

3 Things to Understand About US-China Dynamics

As globalization turns to superpower competition, how should companies prepare for a high-stakes economic rivalry between China and the United States?For the last 25 years or more, U.S. business leaders have formulated strategy, opened markets, and expanded their operations across the globe with ...

By Jonathan D. T. Ward and Atlas Organization • Dec. 5, 2018

Consumer Spending Jumps 0.6% in October

U.S. consumer spending surged in October to its biggest gain in seven months, previewing what could be a robust holiday shopping season amid moderate inflationary pressures.The Commerce Department reported Thursday that spending jumped 0.6% last month, topping economists’ expectations of a 0.4% i...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 29, 2018

Five Key Components of Strategic Sourcing

Growth companies — entrepreneurial startups that have reached, say, $200 million in revenue — almost always have interesting and exciting success stories to tell about building their products and customer bases.For any such company, however, there comes a time when it needs focus on financial and...

By John Marchisin and Mark O'Hara and AArete • Nov. 29, 2018

Economic Growth Estimate Stays Put at 3.5%

The latest estimate of U.S. gross domestic product confirmed economic growth slowed in the third quarter and economists expect the trend to continue into next year.The Commerce Department, in its second of three estimates, said GDP increased at a 3.5% annualized rate, unchanged from its first est...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 29, 2018

Staffers Urge Google to Scrap China Project

Google employees are demanding the company cancel an effort to create a search engine for the Chinese market, saying it would set a “dangerous precedent.”According to media reports, Google’s Project Dragonfly has been working on a mobile version of its search engine that would adhere to the Chine...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 28, 2018

GM to Idle Plants, Lay Off 8,000 Salaried Staff

General Motors announced sweeping restructuring moves on Monday, including plant closures and white-collar employee layoffs, as it continues to revamp its operations to meet shifting consumer demand.The automaker said it would halt production next year at four plants in the U.S. and one in Canada...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 26, 2018

Nuance to Spin off Automotive Software Unit

Speech-recognition software provider Nuance Communications said Monday it will spin off its automotive division to focus on its “core growth opportunities.”The automotive business specializes in conversational AI software for smart automotive assistants. Its customers include BMW, Ford, GM, Hyund...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 20, 2018

Producer Price Index Rises 0.6% in October

U.S. wholesale prices jumped in October to their biggest gain in six years but overall inflation pressures remain moderate.The Labor Department reported Friday that the producer price index rose 0.6% in October, after a 0.2% increase in September. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a 0...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 9, 2018