Finance
NEWS: Research, 21 February, 2022
Language used in financial press releases ‘reveals M&A prospects’
Study finds that sentiments expressed in press statements by a target firm can be a good indicator of how well a takeover bid will go.
INSIGHT: Governance, 18 February, 2022
Audit committees and ESG: ‘It’s a difficult journey to navigate’
The rise of ESG as an investor concern is creating new demands of audit committees. A recent CACID event looked at the challenges.
NEWS: Regulation, 2 February, 2022
Audit committee chairs ‘are confusing quality of audit and quality of service’
FRC report also warns that audit committee chairs have a “negative perception of joint audits”, despite this being a key reform proposal.
NEWS: Regulation, 27 January, 2022
Jan du Plessis gives first insights into FRC governance and audit reform
The prospective FRC chair acknowledged that the watchdog’s own governance needs reform, and that audit scandals have damaged its reputation.
NEWS: Research, 11 January, 2022
Anglo-Saxon CEOs ‘increase a firm’s risk profile through their decisions’
Swiss research reveals Anglo-Saxon boards and CEOs are more likely to increase debt, reduce dividend payments and embark on M&As.
NEWS: Remuneration, 7 January, 2022
High Pay Day reflects slight fall in FTSE 100 CEO pay
This year is the first time since 2011 that the median FTSE 100 CEO has had to work into a fourth day to make the average annual income.
INSIGHT: Strategy, 21 December, 2021
Financial reporting must show real impact—and costs—of ESG activities
To make ESG activities meaningful, IFRS and GAAP should feature data that is relevant to long-term corporate and societal value creation.
INSIGHT: Strategy, 17 December, 2021
What the decline of General Electric can teach us about M&As
GE has been pursuing M&As for over 20 years—with disastrous outcomes. A closer look reveals obvious governance failures.
NEWS: Shareholders, 7 December, 2021
Elliott Advisors calls for restructuring of the SSE board
The hedge fund has questioned the adequacy of SSE’s corporate governance and criticised the board’s “notable lack of renewables expertise”.
NEWS: Outlook, 6 December, 2021
Investor activism set to enter ‘golden age’ as firms emerge from pandemic
Consultancy Alvarez & Marsal says 2022 will see a 10% boost in activism across Europe, with 148 companies at risk of targeting by activists.