Global news and insight for corporate financial professionals
Capital Markets | Debt
Issuance of green bonds, which raise funds to support environmentally beneficial activities, more than tripled last year, to $36 billion, according to the World Bank.
Newsmakers | Nicaragua
When Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega announced last December a plan to construct a controversial transoceanic waterway that would provide an alternative to the Panama Canal, he vowed the project would create jobs and bring prosperity to the hemisphere’s second-poorest nation.
Management | Metrics
Corporations and analysts turn to scores of metrics—return on assets, working capital and others—to determine a company’s financial health. Another, the ratio of debt to internal funds, is one of the most widely used benchmarks. But a new study suggests that the debt-to-funds ratio isn’t all that accurate in predicting or explaining default risk.
Newsmakers | United States
A new crack appeared in the corporate glass ceiling in February, when Cathy Engelbert was appointed CEO of Deloitte US, becoming the first woman to lead one of the Big Four audit and consulting firms in the United States.
Trends | Credit Ratings
More than six years after the housing market crashed—dragging the world economy and stock markets down with it—Standard & Poor’s settled in early February with the Securities and Exchange Commission for its alleged part in triggering the meltdown. The price was relatively cheap, as these things go: $1.4 billion with no admission of wrongdoing.
Milestones | India
The Reserve Bank of India’s recent bid to offer licenses for setting up small finance and payment banks has elicited an overwhelming response, with at least 113 companies entering the fray.
Newsmakers | Brazil
Aldemir Bendine became one of Brazil’s poster boys for success while at the helm of Banco do Brasil, but his new role as chief executive of the country’s oil giant, Petrobras, is causing him headaches.
Global Salon
Global Finance sat down recently with Andrew Spindler, president and CEO of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, which has spread the gospel of sound financial systems to the developing world for the better part of a quarter of a century.
US & China | Milestones
“This is a major milestone in the US-China relationship, and it shows what’s possible when we work together on an urgent global challenge.”
Vatican | Newsmakers
René Brülhart, known as the “James Bond of the financial world” for his high-profile role in cases such as the return of assets from Saddam Hussein to post-war Iraq and the uncovering of the Siemens bribery scandal, has become chairman of the Vatican’s anti-money-laundering unit.
MANAGEMENT | PENSIONS
As people live longer, many companies are discovering that they have to pay pension benefits to retirees for longer than they had expected. Insurance companies are stepping in with new products that can help take this “longevity risk” out of corporate defined-benefit pension plans.
FINANCE & CAPITAL | TRENDS: Islamic Finance
RISK MANAGEMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL INSURANCE
The threat of corporate environmental liability incidents is increasing as new regulations—and new risks—take hold.
NEWSMAKERS By Gilly Wright Dubbed by his supporters a gifted visionary, engineer and CEO Elon Musk is not afraid to take on both big oil and the auto sector in his attempts to drive the sustainable energy sector forward, as ...
On October 29, a little piece of history was made when the UK finally announced it would become the first Western country to issue a sovereign sukuk, or Islamic bond.
Global Finance sat down with John Alan James, executive director, Pace University Center for Global Governance, Reporting & Regulation. James’s distinguished career in management consulting, governance and academia spans 25 years in Europe and more than 20 years in Asia.
Twelve months is a long time in financial markets, and the phenomenon of globalization appears to have reached a fork in the road, with growth in emerging markets looking challenged. Is the globalization frenzy coming to an end?
SPECIAL REPORT: ISLAMIC TRADE FINANCE By Anita Hawser Islamic trade finance is of increasing interest, but whether it will be successful depends on market forces. “Shariah-compliant trade finance is an ancient tradition with a long history of supporting economic activity ...
MILESTONES: UNITED STATES Responsible Corporations Gain Protection By Denise Bedell Safekeeping: New law will protect companies’ ethical goals For companies that aim to always be socially and environmentally minded, achieving growth without giving up that goal can be ...
COVER STORY: CORE VALUES Companies at the cutting edge of corporate responsibility are weaving their citizenship efforts into the strategic heart of the business. By Dan Keeler In the decade or so since the phrase "corporate social ...