Global regulators unite to intensify scrutiny of SPACs

A group of securities market regulators from several countries launched a joint network to monitor SPAC deal-making.

By Jim Tyson • July 27, 2021

Data-breached companies face higher bank lending costs

In addition to the other costs they must pay after their customer data is compromised, companies must pay higher interest rates and are subject to more loan covenants when they borrow funds.

By Robert Freedman • July 27, 2021

Loan performance could worsen under new lease accounting standards

For executives whose pay is tied in part to company performance, debt troubles from the reporting changes could impact compensation.

By Ed McCarthy • July 26, 2021

Coronavirus real estate shifts pose accounting complexities

CFOs confront a tangle of accounting challenges as they reopen offices and prepare for post-pandemic use of real estate, a Deloitte survey found.

By Jim Tyson • July 23, 2021

Corporate 'greenwashing' poses growing threat to ESG goals: report

Sustainable financing has surged since 2015 but false corporate claims jeopardize carbon reduction efforts, Generation Investment Management said in a report.

By Jim Tyson • July 21, 2021

CEO, CFO charged with faking revenue, bond documents

The Securities and Exchange Commission alleges the former executives of FTE, a network infrastructure company, used phony paperwork to hide the financial health of the company while spending lavishly on themselves. 

By Robert Freedman • July 20, 2021

Companies plan bigger pay raises in 2022, survey finds

"The war for talent is pretty significant," says Adrienne Altman of Willis Towers Watson, whose survey shows companies plan to raise pay next year more than in 2021.  

By Jim Tyson • July 20, 2021

SPAC deals will rebound for remainder of 2021: EY

After a second-quarter slump, the SPAC market will rebound in the second half of 2021 as deal-makers adjust to tougher regulatory scrutiny, EY said.

By Jim Tyson • July 19, 2021

Data is a differentiator, but much of it is wrong

As CFOs step up spending, the integrity of their data could determine whether or not their spending decisions lead to growth.   

By Marc Huffman • July 15, 2021

SPAC sponsor, merger target charged with misleading statements

Under a settlement for making inaccurate claims about the target company's technology, the sponsor must give up any founder shares it would have received from the merger, and private investment in public equity (PIPE) investors can terminate their subscription agreements before the merger. 

By Robert Freedman • July 14, 2021

Double set of books could prove Trump Organization's undoing

An internal spreadsheet the company kept treated expenses in one way while the expenses were treated another way in the general ledger.

By Robert Freedman • July 13, 2021

3 hit with Long Island Iced Tea insider trading

A company employee sent a friend a draft press release on the beverage company's upcoming pivot to blockchain technology.  

By Robert Freedman • July 12, 2021

Biden antitrust push faces steep road

Although the president and congressional majority are aligned on checking big tech, it’s not clear agencies will bring much firepower to the effort.

By Robert Freedman • July 12, 2021

3 CFO tips for curbing a pandemic surge in bad debts: Gartner

Bad debt rose during the pandemic, but companies using sharper customer analysis can identify those firms that can pay and choose not to, Gartner says.

By Jim Tyson • July 9, 2021

Risk management rises to No. 1 accounting priority during pandemic: ACCA

The coronavirus has compelled accountants to focus more on risk management than ever while highlighting the need to address climate change and other hazards, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants said.

By Jim Tyson • July 8, 2021

SEC charges Parallax for misleading pandemic disclosures

The company allegedly didn't have a COVID-19 screening test or protective equipment that it claimed to have.

By Robert Freedman • July 7, 2021

Business loans 'especially slow' to transition from LIBOR, posing risks: FSB

U.S. securitizations and business loans need to speed the switch to LIBOR alternatives, the Financial Stability Board said, warning of financial instability.

By Jim Tyson • July 7, 2021

Trump Organization faces indictment-related credit woes

Lending to the company could dry up, leaving it vulnerable with $1B in loans coming due. 

By Robert Freedman • July 6, 2021

M&A hit record high during first half 2021: Refinitiv

Deal-making in the U.S. and worldwide rose to unprecedented highs during the first six months of 2021 as buyers took advantage of record-low interest rates, Refinitiv said.

By Jim Tyson • July 6, 2021

U.S. gains support for 15% minimum global corporate tax from 130 countries

A 15% minimum global corporate tax will discourage companies from locating headquarters in the lowest-tax nations, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

By Jim Tyson • July 2, 2021

Inflation to persist above 3% into 2022 as demand exceeds supply: Furman

Rising demand will confront supply bottlenecks and weak labor participation, fueling inflation in the months ahead, former White House economist Jason Furman said.

By Jim Tyson • July 2, 2021

Trump CFO, company charged with scheme to hide compensation

Among the counts against Allen Weisselberg is grand larceny in the second degree, a felony with a maximum 15-year prison sentence.

By Robert Freedman and Jane Thier • July 1, 2021

Market volatility may rise on absence of clear LIBOR alternative: Fitch

A plan to wind down the use of LIBOR at the end of 2021 may lead to market instability because several reference rates are “vying” to become its successor, Fitch Ratings said.

By Jim Tyson • June 30, 2021

CFOs more concerned about inflation than pandemic: survey

"Every day, I see more evidence of inflation not being transitory, and I am concerned that the Fed is falling behind," one analyst told CNBC, which surveyed CFOs. 

By Jane Thier • June 29, 2021

Trump Organization expected to be indicted on tax treatment for perks

The company could face going-concern issues as a result of the action even if the case goes nowhere, analysts say.

By Robert Freedman • June 29, 2021