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☆ GOP House Oversight chairman James Comer criticizes Silicon Valley Bank as 'one of the most woke banks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

James Comer attributed Silicon Valley Bank's failure to its "woke" ESG investments. "This could be a trend and there are consequences for bad Democrat policy," Comer said on Sunday. Silicon Valley Bank's clients started running for the exits after the bank's management sold $21 billion worth of bonds at a $1.8 billion loss. It has become the biggest bank failure in the US since the 2008 financial crisis. Representatives for Comer and Silicon Valley Bank did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ U.S. Corporate Boards Boosted Sustainability Experience in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Companies are shoring up sustainability experience in the boardroom as they face mandatory climate-disclosure regulations. Among Fortune 500 companies, 25% of board appointees in 2022 had previous experience on sustainability committees, up from 14% in 2021, according to executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. “Boards feel like they don’t always have the right skills, knowledge, language about what’s going on,” she said. In the longer term, the work of these sustainability committees should be more integrated into the company’s overall strategy, Ms. Breeden said. The agenda of sustainability committees varies among companies and industries, Ms. Breeden said.

☆ London fears for its future as companies defect to Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —London is used to punching well above its weight in global financial markets. And 70% of global secondary bond market trading happens in the city, according to the London Stock Exchange. Beyond the jobs they create and the tax they generate, financial markets also channel capital into companies to fund future growth. In other words, to safeguard its future, London needs to reinvigorate its stock markets. Those “unicorns” should be listing in London “at an earlier stage,” Haynes argues, “rather than growing through private equity and being sold off to Nasdaq.”Hoggett of the London Stock Exchange puts it this way: “London needs to be young, scrappy and hungry.”

☆ Bank of America names senior Europe TMT bankers in reshuffle -memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Amy-Jo Crowley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - Bank of America (BAC.N) has made a handful of senior appointments within its investment banking team advising European technology, media and telecom (TMT) companies, an internal memo seen by Reuters showed. The memo, which was confirmed by a Bank of America spokesperson, said the U.S. bank has named veterans Alexandre Gafsi and Emmanuel Hibou as chairs of TMT Investment Banking in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to "focus fully on covering some of our key clients". It has also appointed Thomas Koehrer and James Robertson as co-heads of TMT Investment Banking for the EMEA region. Peter Luck, who has been co-head of UK Investment Banking with Robertson, is now taking over full UK responsibilities. Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley; Additional reporting by Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro; Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fintech firms may struggle to find investor love in rebounding U.S. IPO market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Manya Saini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationMarch 8 (Reuters) - The once high-flying fintech startups looking to go public will have a hard time attracting investor attention, even though a freeze that has gripped the market for new listings is starting to thaw. "I don't think it would surprise anyone if they all sat out the 2023 IPO market," Kennedy added. In the IPO boom of 2021, 20 fintech companies raised a combined $10.93 billion, vastly overshadowing the $144 million that was raised by a lone offering in the following year, according to data from Dealogic. "The IPO market is not closed, but it's certainly more valuation and profitability focused," said David Ethridge, U.S. co-IPO leader at global consulting giant PwC. Reuters GraphicsLACKLUSTRE LISTINGSListed fintech companies have failed to largely live up to their shareholders' expectations as they have steadily booked losses, leading to a string of routs in their shares.

☆ Big Companies Seeing Tax Benefits From Law Change Some of Them Fought
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Richard Rubin | Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Those companies now qualify for a bigger tax break for exports because of the way the research-deduction change alters their tax calculations. Photo: Dado Ruvic/REUTERSModerna saw that tax break jump to a 7.4 percentage-point benefit on its tax rate from 4.8 points in 2021, even as its cash tax payments rose. The change requiring companies to spread out research deductions was part of the 2017 tax law, and it was designed to partly offset the revenue loss from cutting corporate tax rates. PREVIEWAt the same time, the smaller research deduction means many companies can get a bigger advantage from the export tax break. The size of the FDII tax break is based in part on how much income a company has.

☆ Bank of America shares 4 reasons why AI is having its 'iPhone moment' and could have a $15.7 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030 — while enriching investors in these 13 industries along the
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be having its "iPhone moment," according to Bank of America. In fact, the firm has cited an estimate from PwC that AI's economic impact could be $15.7 trillion by 2030. "This could be the 'iPhone moment' for AI." And like smartphones existed prior to the iPhone, AI predates ChatGPT by many years. At that rate, AI could be a million times more powerful than ChatGPT is now in the next 10 years, Israel wrote.

☆ PwC hit with $8.9 million penalty for 'serious breaches' on Babcock audits
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - Britain's auditing watchdog has imposed a 7.5 million pound ($8.9 million) penalty on PwC for "serious breaches" found in audits of engineer Babcock International (BAB.L), the regulator said on Wednesday. The fine was discounted by 25% to 5.6 million pounds due to early resolution, the regulator said. The FRC said breaches identified on PwC's audits of Babcock included repeated failures to challenge management and obtain sufficient appropriate evidence. Two PwC partners - Nicholas Campbell Lambert and Heather Ancient - were also fined 200,000 pounds and 65,000 respectively, discounted to 150,000 pounds and 48,750 pounds respectively. The FRC's investigation into PwC's statutory audits of the Babcock group financial statements for 2019 and 2020 is ongoing.

☆ WWE in talks with state gambling regulators to legalize betting on scripted match results
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WWE is in talks with state gambling regulators in Colorado and Michigan to legalize betting on high-profile matches, according to people familiar with the matter. WWE executives have cited Oscars betting as a template to convince regulators gambling on scripted matches is safe, the people said. Still, while Academy Awards voting results are known by a select few before they're announced publicly, they aren't scripted by writers. Even if regulators allow gambling, betting companies would have to decide if they're willing to place odds on WWE matches even if it's legalized. Gambling regulators in Michigan and Colorado didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ These are 5 of the world's best countries for working parents — and the U.S. isn’t on the list
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Working parents need all of the help they can get. Iceland, for example, is one of the best countries in the world for working parents, according to a new report from Bloomberg, which looks at how nations' policies affect the quality and affordability of child care for working parents. These problems exist everywhere to some degree, but some countries appear more committed than others to providing working parents with enough resources to lighten that heavy load. Canada, for example, committed in 2021 to spending $22 billion over five years to bring down early education and child care costs. Similarly, Iceland's policies benefiting working parents are one reason why the country has the highest female labor force participation rate among the countries tracked by the OECD, according to Bloomberg.

☆ There’s hope beyond moaning for European telcos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The annual Barcelona tech fest this week was in line with tradition, but a different mood music could also be heard beyond the bleatings of European telco executives. The good news for them is that European competition authorities seem to have been mollified by the constant pleading, and could take a softer approach to consolidation in the industry. Höttges compared the 55 billion euros invested by European telcos on infrastructure last year to the 1 billion euros invested in connectivity by those he calls the “hyperscalers”. The hope is now that, considering the European telcos’ low return on investment, European competition authorities will review their strict stance on consolidation in the sector. But European telcos also have means to address some of the problems they are facing without giving the impression that everything depends on forces beyond their control.

☆ Goldman Sachs' investor day led to more questions than answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

David Solomon at Goldman Sachs' 2023 investor day. All eyes were on Goldman Sachs yesterday as the bank held its second-ever investor day. The biggest news of the day was Solomon, along with other key executives, acknowledging the bank was exploring "strategic alternatives" for its consumer business. Hinting at "strategic alternatives" was something people would want to hear more about. And click here to read more about Goldman exploring "strategic alternatives" for its consumer biz.

☆ How to 'layoff-proof' your job, from 6 top recruiters at Netflix, McKinsey, Walmart, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Aj Eckstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AJ Eckstein hosts a podcast interviewing recruiters from major tech, retail, and finance companies. Recruiters from PwC, Walmart, Lockheed Martin, Netflix, and more share how to safeguard your job. I'm a podcast host and job-search expert who interviews leading recruiters at some of the world's largest companies including Netflix, McKinsey & Company, Accenture, and Walmart. I've interviewed more than 30 recruiters in order to pull back the curtain on the recruitment process and help job seekers. "In a constantly shifting job market, employees shouldn't be stagnant either," he said.

☆ Ginni Rometty Learned How to Use ‘Good Power’
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Virginia “Ginni” Rometty emerged as a strong contender to run International Business Machines Corp. after she successfully led the company’s merger with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s consulting arm in 2003. When months went by without hitting her profit targets, Ms. Rometty knew she needed to turn things around. What didn’t help, she says, was hearing from a superior that if she failed she was “no longer a welcome member of the family.”“Some of the biggest lessons I learned about power were about how not to lead,” Ms. Rometty, 65, said over video from her home in Naples, Fla. Since retiring as IBM’s chairman and CEO in 2020, after nearly a decade in the job and a lifetime at the company, she says she has been thinking a lot about how power is wielded and abused. “Given the many negative stories about leaders in politics and business, people now associate power with fear, with being uncomfortable,” she says.

[1/3] Ben & Jerry's, a brand of Unilever, is seen on display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 24, 2022. Eliminating less popular products is part of a "decomplexity program" underway at Kraft Heinz, its executives said at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference this week. Nestle said cutting products saved 1 billion Swiss francs last year ($1.06 billion), while Unilever said the practice saved $2 billion. At the consumer products conference they highlighted new offerings, many of them increasingly popular handheld foods that people can eat while scrolling on phones. "You'd be shocked by the loyalty and personal connections people have to food products," he said.

[1/3] Ben & Jerry's, a brand of Unilever, is seen on display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 24, 2022. Nestle said cutting products saved 1 billion Swiss francs last year ($1.06 billion), while Unilever said the practice saved $2 billion. Food makers tend to cull products without much fanfare. At the consumer products conference they highlighted new offerings, many of them increasingly popular handheld foods that people can eat while scrolling on phones. "You'd be shocked by the loyalty and personal connections people have to food products," he said.

☆ First-Time CFOs Get a Crash Course in Managing Inflation, Volatile Markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Kristin Broughton | Anna Mutoh | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +11 min

Critical decisions made as CFO: Mr. Jepsen allowed the company to incur higher costs to expedite shipping for parts to factories and deliveries to customers. Enphase faced pressure last year from higher costs and the effects of a strong U.S. dollar. Ken Jacobson, CFO of Avnet Photo: AVNET INC.Ken Jacobson, Avnet Inc.Age: 45Career path: Mr. Jacobson, who had previously served as interim CFO from 2017 to 2018, stepped in officially as CFO in September. Mr. Jacobson says Avnet’s interest expenses on its debt have almost tripled over the past year. While there was some attrition in the beginning, it hasn’t been as bad as other companies, Mr. Jacobson said.

☆ Investment banks approach Monzo over potential IPO as $4.5 billion fintech plots investing push, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Investment banks have been in talks with Monzo over a future IPO, sources told Insider. The London-based fintech has also been in discussions to grow its wealth and investment offering. A number of leading investment banks have held initial talks with British fintech unicorn Monzo about a public listing that could take place as early as next year, sources say. Some investment banks have opted to cull teams of staff focused on M&A and stock issuance in recent months, most notably Goldman Sachs. The fintech has also been on the lookout for acquisitions and partnerships in the wealth and trading space, two sources told Insider.

HONG KONG, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Hong Kong is under pressure to rein in spending when it unveils its annual budget on Wednesday, after racking up huge fiscal deficits during the COVID-19 pandemic and as it struggles to kick-start the economy and regain its financial lustre. "However, as our economy stabilises, we have to make adjustments to our fiscal measures accordingly." That compares with a shortfall of HK$56.3 billion or 1.9% of GDP, projected by the government in its budget last year. Hong Kong hewed closely to China's zero-COVID policies -- imposing some of the world's toughest measures including lengthy quarantines for inbound travellers and social distancing rules that hurt the tourism, retail and catering sectors. ($1 = 7.8306 Hong Kong dollars)Reporting by Jessie Pang and Donny Kwok; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Schneider CEO’s tenure is refreshingly sustainable
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Schneider Electric (SCHN.PA) sells products like circuit breakers that help customers manage their energy consumption in a sustainable way. Jean-Pascal Tricoire’s leadership of the French industrial software group reinforces the image of long-term reliability. Peter Herweck, now the boss of Aveva, the British software group Schneider bought last month, will take over in May. Tricoire’s term is uncommon: only 19% of CEOs stay in the job for more than 10 years while the median tenure is just five years, according to a PwC study. Over the last two decades Schneider’s revenue has quadrupled to 34 billion euros.

SummarySummary Companies Spain's new restructuring law faces looming testCelsa caught between creditors and shareholdersSuccessful outcome seen lifting Spain outlookLONDON/MADRID, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Spain's new restructuring law is just over four months old and already being tested as the economy slows, with companies and officials hopeful it will help cut high bankruptcy rates. Now, a restructuring plan for Celsa, Spain's largest private industrial group with debt worth roughly 2.8 billion euros ($3.04 billion), is going through the courts. LITMUS TESTA court-sanctioned restructuring plan in December for Spanish frozen food retailer Xeldist Congelados allowed it to receive fresh capital and save jobs in a first success for the new law. "The Celsa case shows that creditors can push for a restructuring plan and request the appointment of an expert to assist in the negotiations," said Juan Verdugo, partner at law firm Garrigues. Spain is playing catch up after the EU in 2019 told member states to improve restructuring toolkits.

☆ House, Senate to renew fight pitting child tax credit vs. corporate cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The fate of that corporate tax policy, supported by many Democrats, had been linked to the Democratic Party's desire for a deal on the child tax credit . But House and Senate members are getting ready to reintroduce legislation on the R&D tax credit. Indexing the child tax credit to inflation would also be a matter of tax policy that both parties might agree on as a way to enshrine future increases in law. But there's still the divide on the corporate tax priorities and child tax credit, and at a basic level, getting a bipartisan tax bill through the House and Senate and to the White House is always challenging. Many companies were surprised that the R&D tax credit did not get extended in the late year legislative package because it had so much bipartisan support.

☆ EY expects 'massive approval' in vote to split up company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Partners in EY are expected to give approval for spinning off the company's consulting arm and listing it on the stock market by the end of the year, a senior EY official said on Tuesday. "We expect a massive approval, but it's not to say there is still not a lot of work to do," Delarue told Reuters. Just over half of EY's 145 country networks will vote on splitting each national network into separate auditing and consultancy units. It is a move which does not make sense for all networks, Delarue said. The "Newco" will account for $25 billion of revenue and 7,000 partners, with what's left of EY representing $20 billion and 6,000 partners.

☆ PwC isn't panicked about this 'economic pessimism' — in fact, one exec thinks it's an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Tim Paradis | Josée Rose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"No management team gets paid to languish," Bricker told Insider. For some top execs, the need to look further ahead is an existential one: Nearly 40% of surveyed CEOs told PwC that they didn't think their organization would be economically viable in a decade without transforming. That's because efforts around diversity could help a company's workforce perform better, and sustainability investments can help companies boost revenue and shave costs. "The strategies that I see business leaders really starting to focus on is not viewing sustainability as a luxury good, but as an essential element of business," Bricker said. The idea of sparing workers where possible aligns with what CEOs told PwC in the survey, which gathered responses from some 4,440 business heads in October and November.

☆ Private-equity salaries revealed: Here's how much top firms like Blackstone, KKR, and Oaktree are offering 2024 associates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | Rachel Durose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Some of the most recent private equity recruits will rake in nearly $200,000 in base pay alone. Among the firms recruiting are Bain Capital, Blackstone, and KKR & Co. — three of the largest private-equity firms in the world based on funds raised in the last five years. These private-equity firms, along with others, have increasingly accelerated their recruiting timelines to get ahead of competitors, as Insider previously reported. To woo promising junior talent, private-equity firms offer sky-high salaries and even more enticing bonus propositions, much like in investment banking, from which these firms cull most of their talent. Oaktree Capital ManagementOaktree Capital Management was founded in 1995, and has $170 billion in AUM, according to its website.

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