Bank Stresses Equivalent to an Interest Rate Hike: Powell

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to raise the target range for the Fed funds rate by 25 basis points, to 4.75% to 5%, on Wednesday. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank's series of aggressive rate hikes could be nearing an end.Because the Federal Reser...

By Vincent Ryan • March 23, 2023

5 Keys for Managing Bank Risk

Why would a startup or any company make the unwise decision to park millions of dollars in one bank?To deepen an existing banking relationship by consolidating banking services; to give one bank the company's cash management, foreign exchange, and capital markets services in hopes of being charge...

By Vincent Ryan • March 22, 2023

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

Sale-Leaseback Deals Rose 11% in 2022

Sale-leaseback transactions are back. Proprietary data from SLB Capital Advisors, a real estate advisory firm, found the transaction count for 2022 hit 874, up 11% from a record volume of 789 in 2021.Strong M&A activity in 2021, buyers’ strong appetite to deploy capital, and the transaction’s...

By Vincent Ryan • March 22, 2023

Economic Profit Empowers CFOs to Drive Long-Term Value: Study

CFOs’ responsibilities dramatically expanded in recent years — on top of running their finance organizations, managing COVID-19-related shocks, and preparing for a potential recession. Many now lead company-wide transformations, advise on strategy, and act as the deputy CEO. But their...

By Jeffrey Greene, Gregory Milano, Alex Curatolo, and Michael Chew • March 21, 2023

Former FDIC Chair Speaks, Lamborghini Electrifies, and a Big Week for Banks: Trial Balance

Want to see sparks fly? Score a ticket to the American Bankers Association Washington summit this week, where former FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams is on a Monday morning panel. Virtual registration is still available.The big scheduled event this week is the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee’s ...

By CFO Editorial Staff • March 20, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank CFOs Sued by Investors

The executive teams of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank are now facing lawsuits by investors, after both banks succumbed to bank runs and subsequent collapse last week. SVB was shuttered on March 10 and subsequently on March 13 was transferred via the FDIC to Silicon Valley Bridge Ban...

By Adam Zaki • March 16, 2023

Moody’s Flags 6 Additional Banks in Silicon Valley Bank Aftermath

Silicon Valley Bank's failure last week has precipitated an examination of the banking industry's overall health, and which other banks may be susceptible to similar risk. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which would be the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual in 2008, has been a clarion call f...

By Andy Burt • March 15, 2023

CFOs Must Decide Whether to Stay With ‘Bridge’ Banks

The federal regulator rescue of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and insuring all deposits was a good outcome for business depositors. But for borrowers — many of whom are also SVB depositors — the outcome is in doubt. And contradictory messaging from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporatio...

By Vincent Ryan • March 15, 2023

Preparing for an IPO in 2023: What to Know

Inflation continues to bombard the economy alongside rising interest rates, an unpredictable labor market, and insolvency issues for banks, and the thought of going public in such an unpredictable market may be far-fetched for finance leaders who are looking to batten down the hatches and ride ou...

By Adam Zaki • March 13, 2023

U.S. Payrolls Grow 311K, But Labor Market May Be Softening

Jobs growth in the U.S. continued at a stronger-than-expected pace in February, and the average hourly earnings increase, while slightly lower than expectations, remained historically high. Overall, employment data suggested that a 50-basis point hike in Fed funds by the Federal Reserve Open Mark...

By Vincent Ryan • March 10, 2023

How to Position Cash Portfolios for the Debt Ceiling Showdown

Once again, it’s time for CFOs and corporate cash investors to start focusing on another debt ceiling showdown in Congress. In a January 19 letter, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen declared the United States had reached its statutory debt limit of $31.381 trillion. As Congress failed to authorize ...

By Lance Pan • March 2, 2023

Number of Finance FTEs Benchmarks AR Efficiency: Metric of the Month

Accounts receivable (AR) is one of the most critical and high-volume processes that organizations carry out. Delays in this process mean less working capital and liquidity, making AR one area where improving efficiency can pay off exponentially.  One good way to measure the efficiency of your AR ...

By Perry D. Wiggins • March 1, 2023

88% of Finance Leaders Believe They’re Held Back From Driving Innovation

With the pandemic-induced economies putting many financial executives in a position of doing whatever is necessary to allow their company to survive, many have begun to expand outside of their traditional financial-related tasks and towards more leadership-centric tasks. Through this transition, ...

By Adam Zaki • March 1, 2023

Consumer Confidence Falls 3 Points, But Spending Remains Resilient

The buying behaviors of consumers are complex and historically tough to predict. In The General Theory, economist John Maynard Keynes offered a number of subjective motives, for example, that could impact individuals' spending habits, including, “to satisfy pure miserliness.” Other than concrete ...

By Vincent Ryan • March 1, 2023

4 CFO Strategies for Success in Uncertain Times

Many experts agree the global economic outlook for 2023 is a mixed bag of less inflation but also very slow, if any, growth. And while some experts say the U.S. might narrowly miss a recession, other regions like Europe may not be so lucky. What does this cautious outlook mean for organizations s...

By Dayton Kellenberger • Feb. 23, 2023

Earnings Multiples for PE-Backed Firms Fall for 7th Straight Quarter

Like listed companies, companies owned by private equity firms have fluctuations in their enterprise valuations. But the data isn’t publicly disclosed. Lincoln International, an investment banking adviser, attempts to fill that information void with its Private Market Index.  In the...

By Vincent Ryan • Feb. 22, 2023

LendingClub Adjusts to the Fed’s Fast Pace

Because consumer balance sheets are starting to topple from $986 billion of outstanding credit card debt, online lending platforms for refinancing credit card debt see growth ahead. But not right away.An interesting thing about financial markets is that other interest rates don’t rise at the same...

By Vincent Ryan • Feb. 21, 2023

Who’s On First, What’s On Second: How Can Companies Score on ESG Reporting?

Some commentators have said companies need an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) controller or chief sustainability reporting officer to contend with an increasingly scrupulous environment in which regulators and other stakeholders are demanding heightened transparency and accelerated pr...

By Maura Hodge and Rob Fisher • Feb. 16, 2023

6.4% Inflation Raises Probability of 3 More Rate Hikes

At a Dubai conference on Tuesday, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said she saw a chance of “finally getting on top of the problem of cost of living being a major disruptor for millions and millions of people.” The IMF sees global inflation falling to...

By Vincent Ryan • Feb. 15, 2023

3 M&A Challenges in 2023: Capital, Technology, and Culture

A merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction is an intricate process that most growth-minded companies have in their tool belt as a potential expansion path. On top of managing the production and progress of lawyers, accountants, consultants, and investment bankers, executives must not forget t...

By Adam Zaki • Feb. 13, 2023

Who Wants to Be CFO for an NFL Team?

Super Bowl LVII is only a few days away, pitting the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs against each other. Each franchise has a storied history, as well as recent championship success. The Eagles won the big game in 2018 and the Chiefs in 2020. Furthermore, from a financial perspecti...

By CFO Editorial Staff • Feb. 10, 2023

A 2% Buyback Tax Could Dampen Share Repurchases

Howard Silverblatt, the longtime senior index analyst for S&P Dow Jones Indices, had it right when he said that because the U.S. buyback tax had bipartisan support, there was a good possibility the 1% tax was “only the opening move.”Indeed, President Joe Biden announced in the State of the Un...

By Vincent Ryan • Feb. 8, 2023

Great Depression vs. Great Recession: How They Compare

The Federal Reserve’s response to both events was one of the factors that resulted in two significantly different outcomes.

By Ted Jackson • Feb. 7, 2023

CFO Outlook 2023

What will 2023 hold? Even amid economic uncertainty, CFOs can continue to lead the way through a consistent approach to leadership, strategic thinking, execution, and an understanding of technological opportunity.

By CFO Editorial Staff • Jan. 30, 2023

5 Tips to Get Your Sustainability Story to the Stakeholders Who Matter

Every year, companies spend tens of thousands of both dollars and hours collecting and verifying hundreds of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data points to produce thoughtful and beautiful sustainability reports. Writers and copy editors burn the midnight oil to create the ideal narra...

By Leigh Ann Johnston • Jan. 30, 2023