This decade, Asian companies are projected to expand rapidly across the globe. A poll of more than 600 business executives in East and Southeast Asia provides clues about their business growth strategies and how they plan to face potential growing pains along the way.
In an uncertain economy, companies expect to continue making money by focusing on efficiencies, according to a Deloitte survey of CFOs. But the strategy won’t last forever, some CFOs warn.
The US unemployment rate, which dropped to a three-year low in April, appears to have levelled off. And in the week ahead, we’ll find out whether the lull has stalled the recovery of the US housing market. Housing, a broad barometer of the nation’s economy, has displayed signs of movement this year following a sluggish 2011. But if the US jobs situation worsens, the housing market could follow.
Revenue and profit projections dropped sharply in the second quarter, according to a global CGMA survey of finance executives. Those and several measures of economic sentiment led to a decline in optimism worldwide.
Spain, one of five European countries that has sought international financial assistance, may find out by July 9th the terms of a deal to bail out its beleaguered banks.
Product cycles have long adapted to new economic conditions. So too is the role of finance team leaders, who are increasingly charged with helping the broader management team understand where the company is creating value in the product life cycle.
Revenue expectations are down, and talk of cuts is up among CFOs of private-equity-backed businesses in the UK. The euro-zone debt crisis also appears to be sapping expectations for initial public offerings—and not just in Europe.
European leaders, who continue to try to solve the euro zone’s debt problems, are expected to visit Cyprus, the latest country to seek a bailout. That will happen as GDP figures are due out for the euro zone. Meanwhile, the US will see if global economic jitters are causing employers to clamp down on hiring.
European leaders are expected to consider proposals on bank capital requirements, deposit-guarantee programmes and how to handle cross-border bank failures, during a summit in Brussels.
Mergers and acquisitions of small and midsize companies are expected to increase in the coming year, but financing and valuation issues could limit deal volume, a recent survey of M&A advisers indicates.
The European crisis, and how the US stimulates its economy, could be a focal point of a two-day G20 summit, which starts Monday in Mexico. US President Barack Obama has been pushing European leaders to work to resolve the crisis, citing stimulus programmes that the US government used in 2009.
Hiring plans for the second quarter of 2012 fell from the previous quarter, and optimism about the U.S. economy declined, according to the AICPA’s Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey. Four of the 10 sectors represented in the report expect staffing levels to decrease over the next 12 months.
Industrial production updates for many advanced economies come out this week. The data covers output of the manufacturing and mining sectors and of electric and gas utilities in the US and Europe and includes indicators for how the economies are performing.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke may provide clues about the health of the US economy when he speaks before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee on June 7th.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlights the risk of an oil price shock as one of the two key threats to global economic recovery this year, alongside the risk of a euro-zone meltdown.
Consumers are a huge part of the US economy. And in the coming week, economic numbers may show how job security is influencing consumer confidence and the nation’s GDP growth, which appears to be slowing.
When panellists at the American Institute of CPAs’ spring Council meeting in Washington were asked how to fix the economy, business leaders and politicians talked about familiar themes: balancing the federal budget and avoiding deficit spending. They said complex regulations are crippling some businesses.
CFOs doing business with Bank of America’s commercial lending arm have become more optimistic about the US economy and their companies’ futures. But their optimism is limited by a host of concerns.
Manufacturers face operational and recruiting challenges that are leading to localised supply chains, investment in energy-efficient processes and new-worker training initiatives, according to research by the World Economic Forum.
