Strategy & operations

Fed forecasts higher inflation while sustaining record stimulus

Federal Reserve officials increased their forecasts for inflation while holding the benchmark rate at a record low and pushing forward with monthly bond purchases.

By Jim Tyson • June 16, 2021

Citi CFO on expected trading plummet, digital investments

The stream of stimulus payments over the past year have led consumers to pay down their loans at high rates, Mark Mason said, which has hamstrung overall loan growth in the firm’s U.S. card unit.

By Jane Thier • June 16, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Giving your working capital plan a fresh look

The return to more normal operations as the pandemic eases is a good time to take a fresh look at your current expenses and liabilities and whether your working-capital ratio is right for your organization. 

By CFO Dive staff

Transition bonds find a footing as companies eye ESG growth

The instrument gives CFOs a tool for financing their company’s shift to operations reflective of environmental, social and governance goals.

By Ted Knutson • June 16, 2021

CFOs rethinking cost savings of just-in-time supply chains

Pandemic-related disruptions made it clear a broader strategic approach is needed even once the supply and demand equilibrium is restored.

By Ted Knutson • June 15, 2021

LIBOR regulators warn of risks of using rates other than SOFR

Regulators urged companies to replace LIBOR with SOFR, warning that other alternative reference rates pose risks of financial instability.

By Jim Tyson • June 14, 2021

Only 5% of CFOs have 'future-ready' operations: survey

In its latest executive survey, Accenture divided operational maturity into four tiers: stable, efficient, predictive and future-ready. 

By Jane Thier • June 14, 2021

CFOs substantially raise their growth expectations

CFOs' optimism towards their own company's performance, and that of the U.S. economy, has risen 29% in the past three months, Deloitte’s latest quarterly CFO Signals survey found.

By Jane Thier • June 14, 2021

Corporate tax staff working beyond capacity: survey

Technology can help close the capacity gap but many tax departments lack the time, budget and skills to deploy it effectively, a Thomson Reuters Institute survey found.   

By Jim Tyson • June 11, 2021

Scenario plan, but don't act, until tax changes clearer

Companies await a squeeze as U.S. and global tax priorities converge to force more tax payments through profit-shifting curbs, other changes. 

By Ted Knutson • June 11, 2021

Surging inflation may herald start of long-term price trend, economists say

Long-term forces, such as aging populations and a pullback in globalization, will likely stoke inflation for decades, reversing a trend of slow price gains, economists say.

By Jim Tyson • June 10, 2021

Companies get more options in private credit market

The industry showed resilience in the pandemic by helping borrowers renegotiate loan terms.

By Robert Freedman • June 10, 2021

Regulator calls for sunsetting LIBOR in some interest rate swaps in July

A Commodity Futures Trading Commission subcommittee urges a switch in interdealer trading of interest rate swaps from LIBOR to SOFR on July 26.

By Jim Tyson • June 09, 2021

Opinion

3 strategies to create a cash culture

An estimated $2.5 trillion is tied up in working capital at companies across Europe and the United States. Freeing up that cash could help CFOs reach strategic capital allocation goals.

By Peter Kingma • June 09, 2021

SPAC lawsuits surge over disclosure claims: attorney

Securities and Exchange Commission guidance on SPAC disclosures has spurred a rise in litigation in New York State courts — almost 40 in the past six months.

By Jim Tyson • June 08, 2021

TreeHouse CFO transitioned processes for top line growth

In a key move, senior finance staff were embedded in business divisions but held accountable for performance in finance.

By Robert Freedman • June 08, 2021

AT&T, Estée Lauder, Salesforce CFOs on which pandemic changes to keep

Employees will return to the office, but CFOs want to retain the past year's cost-saving changes, panelists said this week at the Wall Street Journal’s CFO Network Summit.  

By Jane Thier • June 08, 2021

Fed selling of corporate bonds may cause debt issuance 'hiccups': Moody's

A Federal Reserve plan to sell corporate bonds and wind down an emergency credit program won’t significantly alter valuations but signals a change in sentiment, Moody’s Analytics said.

By Jim Tyson • June 04, 2021

FTC scrutinizing subscription pricing model

Although the Federal Trade Commission is focused on consumer abuses, the business-to-business side of recurring revenue could be affected if rule changes result.

By Robert Freedman • June 04, 2021

AbbVie used 2017 law to lower taxes to 9.5% from 20%: investigation

The Senate Finance Committee announced an investigation into the pharmaceutical company's global tax practices as Biden pushed a broad effort to boost corporate tax revenue.

By Jim Tyson • June 03, 2021

Deep Dive

5 CFO tips for limiting harm from inflation

Amid signs of rising inflation, economists and financial executives suggest ways that CFOs can buffer against the damage from unstable prices.

By Jim Tyson • June 02, 2021

Travel rebound currently leisure-driven, but business will follow: Hilton CFO

"We're not a huge believer in a new normal; sorry," Kevin Jacobs said last week. He fully expects business travel to reach pre-pandemic levels within the next two years.

By Jane Thier • June 01, 2021

Opinion

CFOs' essential role in promoting employee mental health

For professional accountants, mental health issues heighten the risk of not identifying errors in financial reports or spotting indicators of fraud. 

By Russell Guthrie • June 01, 2021

Nearly 40% of large companies pose biodiversity threat: Moody's ESG study

A Moody’s study aimed at measuring “biodiversity risks” in investment and lending portfolios found that 38% of 5,300 global companies operate at least one facility causing loss of habitat.

By Jim Tyson • May 28, 2021

Asia recession taught Levi Strauss CFO about in-house strength

The experience of others in an organization can be a finance leader’s best resource in times of need, Harmit Singh says.

By Robert Freedman • May 28, 2021

Gensler pledges tough SEC scrutiny of SPACs, warning of fraud risk

The SEC will “closely look” at each stage of SPAC financing to ensure adequate investor safeguards, Chair Gary Gensler said in congressional testimony.

By Jim Tyson • May 27, 2021