Strategy
COMMENT: Stakeholder debate, 28 February, 2020
Company purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive
The view that a company may be either “profit-seeking” or “purposeful” is overly simplistic, with serious consequences for board accountability.
Sustainable business, 26 February, 2020
Accountants must help business confront the challenge of climate change
A new global declaration calls on the accountancy profession to put sustainability and the fight against climate change at the forefront of its work.
Economy, 20 February, 2020
CEOs say these 4 factors will shape business in 2020
More than half of CEOs believe the rate of global economic growth will decline, according to PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey. But climate change could provide opportunities.
Regulation, 19 February, 2020
Mergers under scrutiny as competition regulator toughens stance
Investigations by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority are at an “unprecedented” level, with a number of big name takeovers subject to review.
Strategy, 12 February, 2020
US regulator orders tech giants to release data on acquisitions
Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft face scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission over whether acquisitions of small tech firms were “anticompetitive”.
COMMENT: Investor engagement, 12 February, 2020
Stakeholder debate should not be used to weaken shareholder rights
Investors play a vital role in holding boards to account—and well-governed companies safeguard the long-term interests of all stakeholders.
Gender diversity, 10 February, 2020
FTSE 100 hits target on female board directors—but challenges remain
Hampton-Alexander Review CEO warns more work is needed, while new research shows women leaders experience “everyday sexism” on a disturbing scale.
Investor pressure, 3 February, 2020
CEO pay and director re-elections named top issues for shareholder dissent
The most common causes of shareholder rebellions in 2019 were pay packages and director re-elections, with climate inaction another growing concern for investors.
Board relationships, 31 January, 2020
Investor focus on results and remuneration ‘creating friction’ with boards
The Investor Forum warns short-term issues are “crowding out real conversation about long-term strategic value and broader stakeholder perspectives”.
Sustainability reporting, 27 January, 2020
How to hold businesses to account on carbon? Include their supply chains
Supply chains contribute significantly to a firm’s carbon footprint and can amount to four times the organisation’s own operational emissions.