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☆ Wealthy Americans are starting to spend more carefully
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A robust stock market coupled with rising home values have boosted Americans’ wealth from 2019 through 2022, according to a Federal Reserve report on household finances. There’s been some evidence of wealthy Americans growing cautious in the latest round of company earnings results. Federal Reserve officials Michael Barr, Christopher Waller, Philip Jefferson and Raphael Bostic deliver remarks. Federal Reserve officials Christopher Waller, John Williams, Raphael Bostic, Michael Barr, Loretta Mester and Susan Collins deliver remarks. The Federal Reserve release minutes from its May policymaking meeting.

Persons: they’ve, “, ” Nanette Abuhoff Jacobson, There’s, ” Jonathan Akeroyd, Moet, The Beverly Hilton, Michael Kovac, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, ”, Jacobson, ’ Ariel Barnes, Barnes, ” Barnes, Baby Boomer, Xers, Matt Egan, Read, Michael Barr, Christopher Waller, Philip Jefferson, Raphael Bostic, John Williams, Loretta Mester, Susan Collins, Robin, Ralph Lauren, Booz Allen Hamilton, Buckle Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, Washington CNN, Federal, Fed, Hartford Funds, CNN, Burberry, The Beverly, The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Walmart, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Jackson State University, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Palo Alto Networks, Urban Outfitters, NVIDIA, National Statistics, National Association of Realtors, Reserve, Intuit, US Labor Department, Chicago Fed, Global, US Commerce Department, Atlanta Fed, Booz, University of Michigan Locations: Washington, British, Americas, Beverly Hills , California, Jackson , Mississippi, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Palo, Ross, Burlington

☆ How Bombardier is cashing in on business elite's love affair with private jet travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

They immediately established an ambitious, five-year strategic plan to reposition Bombardier, with a focus squarely on its sturdiest leg: the high-flying business jet and ancillary services industry. Deliveries of business and general aviation aircraft last year topped 4,000 for the first time in more than a decade, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported in February. Historically, the business jet market has been cyclical, said Noah Poponak, an analyst for Goldman Sachs, "but it's been hyper-cyclical in the past 20 years." Sales of all business jets were healthy leading into 2020 — and then the Covid pandemic hit. Everyone wanted a business jet and was willing to buy whatever was out there, new or used."

Persons: headwinds, Bombardier's, Alain Bellemare, divesting, Éric Martel, Bart Demosky, Demosky, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, CFOs, Noah Poponak, Goldman Sachs, Walter Spracklin, Spracklin Organizations: Bombardier, Boeing, Airbus, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Challenger, Global, Companies, Honeywell, RBC Capital Markets Locations: Montreal, Warren, Covid

☆ Microsoft, Salesforce woo skeptical CFOs on new generative AI tool spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Many other business software providers have looked to quickly introduce tools that utilize generative AI, or update their existing ones with it. The utilization of AI more broadly is nothing new for CFOs, with tools like predictive AI being used by most companies to help with core tasks. But this new wave of generative AI presents a different opportunity, and Weaver said the focus on generative AI across industries has frantically increased in the last year. However, he added that there is a challenge when it comes to generative AI tools: creating auditable processes or being able to visually inspect the processes to ensure the data or conclusions are correct. Hrncirik said that the message within Microsoft is that generative AI is a "new skill that we have to develop."

Persons: Jensen Huang, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cory Hrncirik, Amy Weaver, Weaver, Mark McDonald, Gina Gutzeit, McDonald, we've, isn't, Hrncirik, it's, CFOs, Gutzeit Organizations: Microsoft, Nvidia, Johnson, GE Healthcare, CNBC, Microsoft's, Gartner, FTI Consulting, Solutions Locations: Krakow, Poland

☆ Top CFOs are as bullish on the Dow and as dovish on the Fed as they've been in a long time: CNBC survey
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

That's according to the CNBC CFO Council Survey for the first quarter, which shows a dramatic year-over-year change in the view from CFOs about the Federal Reserve's inflation battle. The percentage of CFOs who think the Fed will be able to achieve a soft landing has reached a five-quarter high, at 48%. According to the Q1 survey, the largest percentage of CFO respondents (44%) do not expect a rate cut until September. In the Q1 CFO survey, equal groups of just under 25% of CFO respondents think the cuts will begin in June or July. Despite CFOs expecting a slower moving Fed than traders, the latest quarterly view represents an increase in dovish expectations.

Persons: CFOs Organizations: CNBC, Survey, CPI Locations: U.S, CFOs

☆ 48% CFOs believe U.S. economy on the path for a soft landing, CNBC CFO Council survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email48% CFOs believe U.S. economy on the path for a soft landing, CNBC CFO Council survey findsCNBC's Frank Holland reports on the latest results from the CNBC CFO Council survey.

Persons: CNBC's Frank Holland Organizations: CNBC

☆ Microsoft introduces Copilot AI chatbot for finance workers in Excel and Outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft on Thursday announced that it will release a Copilot chatbot that can perform key tasks for people working in finance. The software company will first offer the tool in public preview. The Copilot for finance will initially run a variance analysis, reconcile data in Excel and speed up the collections process in Outlook. Additional features will come to the finance Copilot later this year, Lamanna said. The Japanese advertising agency Dentsu will use the Copilot for finance tasks, Lamanna said.

Persons: Charles Lamanna, Lamanna, it's, Cory Hrncirik, Hrncirik Organizations: Microsoft, CNBC, Wednesday, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics Locations: San Francisco

☆ I was Lyft's former head of PR. I'm really not surprised by their earnings blunder.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Will Valentine | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Forty-eight hours later, it seems Lyft's earnings mistake has reached meme level in business circles. My immediate thought was probably the same as most people when I heard the news: oof, that's a really, really bad mistake. In fact, in my Visa days, my wife and twin toddlers would decamp to grandma's house for two weeks because we knew I'd be fully consumed with the earnings process. While their intentions are almost always positive, it's essential to avoid team bloat in the earnings process. By prioritizing a meticulous approach to the process, companies can transform earnings season from a high-risk ordeal into a showcase of reliability and precision.

Persons: it's, that's, I've, I'd, who's, It's, Will Valentine, Valentine Organizations: Service, Business, Visa, Pandora, Valentine Advisors, Lyft

☆ Amazon's cloud sees growth rates slow from 'optimization' as customers keep cutting costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-11 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Either way, one thing is certain: Companies are getting serious about cloud spend. And while Wall Street analysts hope the excitement over generative AI will drive customers to spend more money on cloud services next year, it's clear that optimization won't go away. "Cloud spend got big enough at most of the Fortune 500s that it's actually material now," Storment said. Cloud cost-cutting servicesTo save money on cloud services, customers often must first spend money. Customers aren't spending much on generative AI yetEven though "generative AI is the new sexy thing that everyone is exploring," the technology didn't come up in many conversations about budget, Lowell said.

Persons: Adam Selipsky, Werner Vogels, Sid Nag, Gartner, Nag, wasn't, Dave Linthicum, —, Storment, Craig Lowell, Lowell, Linthicum, they're, Bernstein, Mark Schilsky, Ellen Thomas Organizations: Amazon Web, Business, AWS, Wall, Microsoft, Google, Deloitte, FinOps Foundation, Fortune, Venetian Convention, Expo, Companies Locations: Las Vegas, DoiT, ethomas@insider.com

☆ What if the DOJ Levels the Playing Field?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Leslie Picker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The Biden administration has argued that robust enforcement of antitrust law can lower prices for consumers, raise wages for workers, and promote innovation throughout the economy. But critics of the policy (including many CFOs) say the administration is using a radical interpretation of the law to stop most mergers. Rather than suing to block every deal, though, the Department of Justice has been using investigative powers to make the process of merging cumbersome and costly. Is it achieving the desired effect? A leading anti-trust official explains what all CFOs should know before they pursue a deal.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Department of Justice

☆ Member Panel: Workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Leslie Picker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The workforce is on the brink of a revolution fueled by societal, technological, and demographic shifts. CFOs need to be prepared. National immigration policies, company remote work policies, and developments in AI will impact who is hired, and how they work. Three CFO members from different industries share projections on their future workforce and how they're preparing for the shift.

☆ Member Panel: Artificial Intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Morgan Brennan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Once we hit the second year of the generative AI revolution, CFOs will have to make some decisions, including about which AI tools to invest in, and how to integrate them into their organizations safely and securely. Hear from three members whose companies were using artificial intelligence long before 2023 about how they're making the most of the breakthrough technology in the year ahead.

☆ What if It's Not Biden vs. Trump?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Leslie Picker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

If the last few years have taught CFOs anything, it is to anticipate all possibilities — including the highly unlikely. In his signature style, NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki talks about the contentious races, the polls and one of the most consequential elections of our time.

Persons: Steve Kornacki Organizations: NBC, National Political

☆ Member Panel: Energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Morgan Brennan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

America's transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy will run right through the CFO's office, as CFOs balance their company's present-day realities with a desire to meet long-term carbon footprint reduction goals. The transition was never going to be linear, but current economic conditions—stable oil prices, rising interest rates, and a steady flow of government incentives into renewables—have made things considerably messier. Our trio of energy-sector CFOs take the stage to bring some clarity to the situation.

☆ CFOs See Ongoing Pain From Foreign Exchange Oscillations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kristin Broughton | Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Many executives had expected the dollar to retreat this year after it shot higher in 2022. Some are now reviewing their hedging strategies. Photo: Cfoto/Zuma PressFinance chiefs are anticipating more pain from foreign exchange rates after the U.S. dollar strengthened again this summer and fall, following a historic tear last year. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the currency against a basket of others, surged during the third quarter on higher Treasury yields, then skipped to its highest point of the year in October, when it stood 7% above a mid-July trough. Since then, the index has tumbled 4% from last month’s pinnacle and is on track for its lowest close in months, as Treasury yields soften and investors gain confidence that the Federal Reserve will be cutting interest rates in the foreseeable future.

Organizations: Zuma Press Finance, U.S ., U.S, Federal Reserve

☆ A signal from big companies they think workers are losing control of the job market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Unemployment has ticked up, wage growth continues to decline, and the "quits rate" has leveled off from its pandemic surge. The CFO view of the labor market also filters through to their broader view of the economy and markets, which has changed in other considerable ways over the four quarters of surveying by CNBC this year. Almost a year later, the market has rallied on the conviction that inflation has been vanquished and the hikes are finished. But the CFO view of when inflation returns to 2% keeps getting pushed farther out into the future. That's more hawkish than the market, which currently is betting the Fed may start cutting by May.

Persons: CFOs, that's, it's, Jackson Organizations: CNBC, Stone, Nasdaq, PPI, Inflation, Walmart, Dow Jones, Dow, Fed Locations: Detroit, Hollywood, CFOs, it's

☆ A recession wouldn't be as bad as CFOs expect, says Annex's Brian Jacobsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA recession wouldn't be as bad as CFOs expect, says Annex's Brian JacobsenCNBC's Mike Santoli and Brian Jacobsen, Annex Wealth Management chief economist, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss CNBC's CFO survey results and markets.

Persons: Annex's Brian Jacobsen, Mike Santoli, Brian Jacobsen Organizations: Wealth Management

☆ Pressure Mounts on Private Equity-Backed Company Finance Chiefs as Market Shifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Laura Kreutzer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nick Leopard, left, founder and CEO of Accordion, and Atul Aggarwal, the company’s president, shown seated in the company’s New York headquarters. Photo: justine knight photographyAs private-equity firms intensify their focus on performance of businesses they back, the finance chiefs at those companies increasingly feel the heat to deliver as markets shift. “CFOs are under more pressure than ever before,” said Nick Leopard , chief executive of private markets consulting firm Accordion. “They’re not expected to [just] close the books anymore. They need to be more focused on strategic issues.”

Persons: Nick Leopard, Atul Aggarwal, justine, ”, “ They’re Locations: York

☆ CFOs Review Holiday Promotions as Consumer Spending Cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New economic data last week showed the resilient U.S. consumer may finally be beginning to crack. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg NewsCompanies are looking for new ways to entice holiday shoppers while consumers are spending less at stores and the economy is cooling. “It’s our Super Bowl,” said Tapestry finance chief Scott Roe , referring to the holiday season. This means the owner of Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman is looking to attract shoppers, but Roe, who also serves as the company’s chief operating officer, said the company plans to be disciplined with any promotions.

Persons: ”, Scott Roe, Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, Roe Organizations: Bloomberg News Companies

☆ Cramer calls out Disney's 'great hire' ahead of a key earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a Morning Meeting livestream at 10:20 a.m. This is a "great hire" for Disney, as Johnston has a reputation as one of the best CFOs in corporate America, Jim Cramer said Monday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Locker, Hugh Johnston, Johnston, Nelson Peltz, Jim Cramer's, Jim Organizations: CNBC, Treasury, West Texas Intermediate, Club, Walt Disney, PepsiCo, Disney, Trian Partners, Coterra Energy, Emerson, Wynn Resorts, WYNN, Jim Cramer's Charitable Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, America

The Walt Disney Co. on Monday named 34-year PepsiCo veteran Hugh Johnston as its new chief financial officer. Johnston, who has been PepsiCo's CFO since 2010, will replace Kevin Lansberry effective Dec. 4. Johnston has served a variety of roles at PepsiCo beginning in 1987. Johnston will report to Disney CEO Bob Iger, who returned to the Burbank, California entertainment giant just less than a year ago. Ron DeSantis of Florida, where Disney runs the giant Walt Disney World theme park resort.

Persons: Hugh Johnston, Johnston, Kevin Lansberry, Lansberry, Bob Iger, ” Iger, Iger, Bob Chapek, Chapek, Ron DeSantis, “, ” Organizations: Walt Disney Co, PepsiCo, Merck & Co, Microsoft, HCA Healthcare, Disney, Gov, Walt Disney Locations: , New York, Burbank , California, America, Florida

☆ Finance Chiefs Take Measured Approach to Using Real-Time Payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Federal Reserve rolled out its FedNow real-time payments system in July. Photo: win mcnamee/ReutersWith real-time payments, chief financial officers can pay their suppliers in seconds, but many CFOs are holding off on using them in the back office, waiting to see if the value ultimately outweighs the costs. The Federal Reserve in July rolled out FedNow, a real-time payments system that allows businesses and consumers to move money instantly. The launch aims to expand access to faster payments to more financial institutions and their customers. A similar payments system from the Clearing House, a payment network owned by large financial institutions, launched in 2017.

Persons: mcnamee Organizations: Federal Reserve, Clearing

☆ US companies aren't feeling great about the economy - but one group is extra pessimistic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Small business owners and CFOs both reported feeling downbeat about the US economy in recent surveys. CFOs are far more optimistic about the prospects for their own companies relative to the wider economy. A historically low number of small business owners said it's a good time to expand operations. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementSmall business owners are pessimistic about the state of the US economy.

Persons: it's, —, Ned Davis, CFOs Organizations: Service, Conference Board, Ned Davis Research Small, NDR, Bloomberg, Fed

☆ UK CFOs lose their appetite for debt after rates climb -Deloitte
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A similar proportion said debt sales were unattractive while equity finance became more popular. "Higher interest rates have flipped a decade-old consensus which was previously in favour of debt finance," Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said. "Finance leaders are preparing for a period of high interest rates with predicted rates falling only slightly over the next year." The Bank of England raised rates 14 times in a row between December 2021 and August this year, before pausing its increases in September. The CFOs quizzed by Deloitte on average expected the BoE to cut Bank Rate to 4.75% in a year's time from 5.25% now.

Persons: Suzanne Plunkett, Ian Stewart, Top BoE, BoE, William Schomberg, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: REUTERS, Finance, Deloitte, Bank of, Thomson Locations: London, Bank of England, Israel

☆ Companies want to spend more on AI to defeat hackers, but there's a catch
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Rachel Curry | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

And there is risk that as AI speeds the development of software, new iterations will roll out so quickly that flaws may be missed. Less panic, more preparednessExperts view cloud migrations and AI as the two biggest threats to an organization's cybersecurity right now. "Every company is going to have to be concerned about how well they're protecting their assets and information as they move to the cloud," Casey said. Casey also recognizes that developers are creating software faster with AI. "If we're developing software faster, we're introducing vulnerabilities faster.

Persons: Mike Scott, CISO, Scott, Andrew Casey, Casey, I've, that's, CISOs, they've Organizations: IBM, Benz, ADP

Making mistakes doesn't feel great, but they can provide some lessons you might not have learned otherwise. We asked this year's rising stars of Wall Street to open up about the biggest missteps of their careers so far and what they took away from them. Some shared their rookie errors — like slamming their laptop shut after forgetting to save their first big pitch deck or duplicating a trade — while others gave more reflective answers about how early career mistakes impacted their paths. We've got to iterate and change how we do things, and I think that's helped our team's process a lot. So my mistakes also brought me here, and everything that has been a mistake is always a learning experience.

Persons: there's, Luis Arteaga, David Trinh, you'll, Michael Dunn Goekjian, Tori Gilliland, didn't, It's, Andrew Almeida, Thoma Bravo I've, I've, Nadim Laiwala, Rachel Hunter, Goldman, Kristen Powers, Morgan Stanley, Sarah Sigfusson, Shanta Wu, Fred Michel, who's, Morgan, Neil Kamath, Rachel Barry, Chris Dell'Amore, We've, that's, Peter Gylfe, Ricky Mewani, Dominic Rizzo, Rowe Price, Lillian Qian Lin, of, Steve Schwarzman, Peter Peterson, Stephen Schwarzman, Blackstone, Patrick McGoldrick, Katya Brozyna, Michael Wilkinson, Yi Yi, Wells, Luna McKeon, —, Anne, Victoire Auriault, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Barclays, Delta, Barclays Bridgewater Associates, Bridgewater Associates, Apollo Management, Thoma Bravo, Moelis, US, Bank of, Fidelity, JPMorgan, BlackRock Blackstone, Citadel, Blackstone, Jefferies, Citadel Securities, Blue Owl, Goldman Locations: Bank, Evercore, Wells, Americas

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