Icahn sues, questions 'basic integrity' of trillion-dollar CMBS market

The suit comes as the pandemic accelerated changes in shopping and work habits that drive how retail and offices are used and valued, leaving financial executives to grapple with rising uncertainty around how to assess commercial real estate holdings. 

By Maura Webber Sadovi • June 17, 2022

FASB drops four-year project changing goodwill accounting

The U.S. accounting standard-setter shelved a proposal recasting how companies account for an estimated $3.6 trillion in goodwill on their balance sheets.

By Jim Tyson • June 16, 2022

Fed failure in fighting inflation 'not an option,' Powell says

The Federal Reserve announced a 0.75 percentage point increase in the main interest rate and indicated that policymakers plan more aggressive tightening in coming months.

By Jim Tyson • June 15, 2022

State Street looks to reduce bank spend, increase digital transformation

To navigate a “constantly changing” macro-economic environment, State Street is focusing on reducing its day to day technology spend in favor of more strategic operational investments in AI, automation and like technologies, according to its CIO and CFO.

By Grace Noto • June 13, 2022

May inflation spike likely to prod Fed to more aggressive action

May CPI data shows inflation rose 8.6% in the latest 12 months, its fastest in 40 years, extinguishing hopes inflation had reached its peak.

By Grace Noto • June 10, 2022

Crypto framework would define SEC, CFTC oversight purview

The crypto bill comes as CFOs across industries are grappling with regulatory and accounting issues stemming from the rapidly evolving digital sector.

By Robin Bradley • June 8, 2022

Many CFO-led teams still follow 20-year-old ‘steward’ role: Microsoft

CFOs and other finance executives identified as the most disruptive business trend the imperative to streamline team collaboration, Microsoft found in a survey.

By Jim Tyson • June 6, 2022

EU 15% global minimum tax directive could impact US: KPMG

CFOs of multinational companies bracing for the 15% global minimum tax should watch how Poland leans on the matter this month to get a better gauge of how quickly rules could be implemented.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • June 6, 2022

Recession 'not inevitable,' Moody's says

CFOs considering changes to wages, prices and other critical points of business strategy must filter an unusual range of conflicting economic forecasts.

By Jim Tyson • June 3, 2022

May notches lowest job gains since pandemic recovery: ADP

ADP reported nonfarm private sector employmers added 128,000 jobs in May, marking the lowest gains since the start of pandemic recovery and potentially indicating a modest decline in unemployment figures.

By Grace Noto • June 2, 2022

Inflation outlook hinges on future wage growth: Summers

History suggests that with inflation and unemployment at current levels, the U.S. may be headed toward a recession, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said.

By Jim Tyson • May 31, 2022

Bank of America boosts minimum wage to $22 per hour

The pay raise comes as financial executives across industries are strategizing over how to hold on to employees in one of the tightest labor markets in decades. 

By Robin Bradley • May 25, 2022

Proposed rule could push more family offices to lawyer up

The proposal comes amid increased scrutiny of family offices in the wake of the Archegos Capital Management meltdown.

By Ted Knutson • May 24, 2022

SoftBank CFO advises automation over bloated finance teams

Leaning on automation can help companies free up key resources and keep team sizes small, allowing CFOs to think more strategically about periods of accelerating growth, says Navneet Govil, CFO of SoftBank Investment Advisers.

By Grace Noto • May 23, 2022

Just 30% of CFO-CIO relationships are 'collegial': Gartner

More collaborative partnerships likely yields better digital outcomes because the CFO and CIO “tend to act like members of the same team instead of creating decision-making friction," the survey report states. 

By Maura Webber Sadovi • May 19, 2022

Fed's Powell welcomes 'significant' tightening in financial markets

Powell underscored the Fed’s determination to reduce inflation, just one of many items on a long roster of risks bedeviling CFOs.

By Jim Tyson • May 17, 2022

SEC enforcement attorney predicts 'a lot more fraud' in crypto markets

The SEC will turn to litigation if needed to achieve “clarity” as it fights abuses in cryptocurrency markets, according to an attorney in the agency’s Enforcement Division.

By Jim Tyson • May 16, 2022

U.S. regulators see 'endgame' to LIBOR phaseout

Winding down LIBOR has reached the final stage as businesses increasingly borrow using an alternative reference rate, U.S. regulators said.

By Jim Tyson • May 12, 2022

Inflation pounds small business optimism to 48-year low

While the NFIB said price pressures have eroded optimism, the Federal Reserve warned that rising interest rates may complicate efforts by companies to pay off debt.

By Jim Tyson • May 10, 2022

M&A success depends on 'Announcement Day' credibility

Rising prices, higher borrowing costs, stock market volatility and other headwinds have slowed deal-making this year. CFOs considering M&A would do well to consider lessons from more than two decades of transactions, according to authors of a recently published book.

By Jim Tyson • May 9, 2022

Fed probably needs to curb GDP growth to 1% to quell inflation: Moody's

CFOs navigating an unusual array of profit threats — from supply chain disruptions to the possibility of a new COVID-19 variant — may need to add stagflation to their roster of risks.

By Jim Tyson • May 2, 2022

FASB explores single consolidation model

“We can bring some order to this area where I think we’re hearing very clearly that order is needed,” said Richard Jones, FASB chair.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • April 29, 2022

Asset-backed securitizations drop on widening spreads

As rates and other indices rise, investors hold out for higher yields, making it hard for companies to get pricing that makes sense for them.  

By Robert Freedman • April 21, 2022

Fed will 'expeditiously' combat inflation, Brainard says

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19 lockdowns in China and the unpredictability of the pandemic have thrust the U.S. economy into a time of “very high uncertainty,” Lael Brainard said.

By Jim Tyson • April 12, 2022

FTC orders fixes at Dun & Bradstreet, citing report errors

Dun & Bradstreet must overhaul how it gathers credit information and provide refunds to subscribers of its CreditBuilder product, the FTC said. 

By Jim Tyson • April 8, 2022