On 2 December the first vaccine to prevent Covid-19 is formally approved. The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approved the Pfizer and BioNTech mRNA Covid-19 vaccine for temporary emergency use. The vaccine was found to be over 90 percent effective in the first independent analysis of any Covid-19 vaccine in phase 3 trials (final stage before commercial licensing). Global equity … more
On 25 November, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) announce their intention to merge and launch the Value Reporting Foundation in 2021. The Foundation will merge the SASB and IIRC into a credible, international organization that maintains the Integrated Reporting <IR> Framework, advocates integrated thinking, and sets sustainability disclosure standards for enterprise value creation. Both … more
On 15 October nineteen Accounting Professors, including editors of leading accounting journals, publish an open letter to the Chair of the IFRS Foundation Trustees. It concerns a new IFRS Consultation Paper on Sustainability Reporting (Sept 2020), which foresees the IFRS creating a global Sustainability Standards Board (SSB). They express serious concern that the paper includes proposals inconsistent with research findings … more
On 11 September the GRI, IIRC, SASB, CDP and CDSB publish a Statement of Intent to work together towards comprehensive corporate reporting. They commit to engage with key actors such as the IOSCO, IFRS, European Commission and WEF International Business Council. Their vision statement presents different types of “nested sustainability information”, recognizing the ideas of double materiality and dynamic materiality. … more
In August the European Electric Car Report signals that during the first seven months of 2020 the West European electric passenger car market outpaced that of China. Europe bought half a million electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars in the first half of 2020 and is on track to sell a million plug-in cars this year for the first … more
On 14 July BlackRock reports that it has taken action against investee companies for climate inaction. It has put 244 companies “on watch” for insufficient progress on climate issues and taken voting action at the AGMs of 53 companies over climate issues, largely through voting against the re-election of directors. This comes after a coalition of shareholders – including public pension … more
On 19 June Markus Braun, CEO of Wirecard, announces his resignation as details of large-scale fraud unfolds at what was one of Europe`s most valued fintech companies. The group for the first time acknowledges the scale of a multiyear accounting fraud, warning that €1.9bn of cash on its balance sheet probably does “not exist”. Its shares collapse by more than 80%. … more
On 12 May the World Business Council for Sustainable Development reports that its members who demonstrate taking ESG factors into account have been beating major stock exchange benchmarks by 4.3 – 9.4% in 2020 up to the end of April. Its listed members in Europe beat the STOXX Europe 600 benchmark by a margin of 4.3%. Member companies from China … more
In an interview with BCG and an opinion on Forbes published 19 April, Oxford Professor Bob Eccles discusses the meaning of dynamic materiality in COVID times. He describes COVID in terms of boosting the salience of certain topics (e.g. employee health & safety) and illustrating event-driven materiality. While he supports the SASB approach of determining materiality on an industry sector … more
On 19 March the WEF with Boston Consulting Group publishes a white paper on “The New Age of Materiality: Harnessing the Pace of Change in ESG”. It notes a new trend for investors to build their capacity to more accurately assess which environmental and social issues will become material over time, and integrate these forward‐looking perspectives into investment decisions. It … more
On 20 February the IIRC launches a revision of its Integrated Reporting <IR> Framework. A key question remains target audience. The current Framework determines “the providers of financial capital” as the primary users of <IR>. Some feel this should be expanded to stakeholders broadly (providers of all types of capital). Implied is whether materiality is ultimately determined with reference to … more
On 5 January the WHO publishes its first Disease Outbreak News on a new coronavirus identified following a reported cluster of cases in Wuhan, China. On 12 January China publicly shares the genetic sequence of COVID-19. Evidence of human-to-human transmission mounts. A WHO delegation visits China and its Emergency Committee convenes. On 30 January WHO reports 7818 total confirmed cases worldwide, the … more
In a world biggest IPO, Saudi Aramco sets off to raise a record US$25.6bn with its IPO on 5 December. The company sold shares for 32 Saudi riyals (US$8.53) each, which gave it a market valuation of US$1.7tn when shares started trading on 11 December. Shares increased 10% when they started trading. The valuation fell short of the US$2tn desired by … more
On 6 November Westpac, Australia’s 2nd biggest bank by market capitalisation, announces that cash profit fell 15% to A$6.85bn in 2019. Its worst financial results in a decade follow costs linked to a public inquiry into misconduct, a faltering economy and low interest rates. The bank intends to raise A$2.5bn capital through an equity raising, to ensure it complies new regulations on bank … more
On 22 October SoftBank takes control of WeWork. It’s biggest investor took the decision after WeWork has been in turmoil since filing in August at the SEC for its IPO. At the time Google from its assessment of Internet data found highly negative sentiment trends related to a company that since nine years operated under the mission “to elevate the world’s … more
In September a Financial Times commodities report signals that Latin American ranchers are benefiting from surging Chinese beef demand. Chinese beef imports from Latin America have soared after swine fever swept across rural China. Benefitting most, Argentina had exports up 129% year-on-year to 186,000 tonnes. Brazil was second-biggest exporter to China at 180,000 tonnes in the year to August, up … more
On 19 August The Business Roundtable, a group of chief executive officers from major US corporations, issues a new position on the “purpose of a corporation.” Over 180 chief executives, including Walmart and JPMorgan Chase, overturned three decades of orthodoxy on shareholder primacy. The statement acknowledged that the duty of management and directors is not foremost to maximise shareholder value. … more
On 7 July Deutsche Bank (DB) announces its “most fundamental transformation in decades”. Its supervisory board meets to discuss a major restructuring that may result in 20,000 job cuts. DB has been plagued by ratings downgrades, fines and management upheavals. Its investment banking was often the culprit, while generating half DB’s revenue. DB sets out to shrink its ailing investment … more
On 30 June Alibaba reports impressive quarterly results, especially boosted by its ecommerce and cloud computing businesses. It reported revenue of 114.92 billion yuan (US$16.74 billion), an increase of 42% year-over-year (compared to 61% year-on-year revenue growth for the same period 2018). It reported non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) of 12.55 yuan versus 10.25 yuan expected. Its cloud computing … more
10 May is Uber’s IPO on Wall Street. Its highly anticipated stock market debut was expected to define the era of the unicorns (tech start-ups valued at US$1bn or more). Getting its business model for the ride-hailing market to scale requires long-term subsidies to both drivers and riders. To do this Uber had to raise US$25bn in equity and debt … more
At a difficult Bayer Annual General Meeting on 26 April, 55.5% of its shareholders vote against absolving CEO Werner Baumann and other managers of responsibility for their actions in the takeover of Monsanto in 2018. The vote was followed by an emergency session of the company’s supervisory board. The no confidence vote has no precedent in German postwar corporate history. … more
On 20 March the European Commission fines Alphabet Inc.’s Google 1.5 billion euros for antitrust violations in the online advertising market. In what it describes as “abusive practices” in online advertising, the Commission found Google broke the EU’s antitrust rules and abused its market dominance by preventing or limiting its rivals from working with companies that had deals with Google. The case revolves around … more
Shares of packaged food giant Kraft Heinz fall nearly 25% in February after the company wrote down US$15.4 billion on two of its most iconic brands, Kraft and Mayer. It also cut its dividend by 36% to 40 cents and announced it had received a subpoena from the SEC on its accounting policies and internal mechanics in 2018. Brazilian private equity giant … more
On 29 January the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Corp in California files for bankruptcy protection following hundreds of lawsuits from victims of wildfires in 2017 – 2018 and tens of billions of dollars in potential liabilities. The company has been linked to a series of wildfires in California, including Camp Fire, which caused 86 deaths and destroyed 14,000 homes, … more
On 1 December the CFO of Huawei is arrested in Vancouver, Canada, based on an extradition request from the US Government. Huawei is a world leader in developing new generation 5G mobile telecoms networks. US authorities are seeking the CFO’s extradition for alleged fraud, claiming that Meng Wanzhou lied to American banks about the relationship between Huawei and a company … more
On 19 November 2018 Carlos Ghosn, head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors auto alliance, is arrested by Japanese authorities on suspicion of underreporting his income by half over the last five years. Nissan and Mitsubishi announce they will remove him as chair of their boards. An interim CEO is appointed by Renault, in which the French government owns 15% as shareholder. … more
On 16 October the Standards Board of the American SASB signs off on the world’s first set of industry-specific sustainability accounting standards covering financially material issues. The final, codified standards cover 77 industries and address sustainability factors most likely to have financially material impacts on the typical company in an industry. It follows six years of research and consultations. Said SASB … more
On 19 September the share price of Swiss recruitment specialist Adecco falls to a two-year low. It follows an unexpectedly weak trading statement by the company, signaling the risks of significant economic slowdown in Europe. Adecco shares fell over 6% to SFr54.08 after the group reported revenues grew by just 2% in July and August. A year earlier its share … more
On 14 August a highway bridge collapses in Genoa, Italy, during heavy traffic and rain. Fourty three people die. Amidst furious public reaction, Ministers point fingers to the bridge operator Autostrade per l’Italia. It also implies the family empire Benetton, a controlling shareholder in infrastructure holding company Atlantia that owns Autostrade. Edizione, a €12 billion Benetton family holding company, has a … more
On 16 July a report on crypto-assets by the FSB reveals that the Basel Committee is “conducting an initial stock take on the materiality of banks’ direct and indirect exposures to crypto-assets”. Currently cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are covered by Basel rules on minimum capital requirements and liquidity for “other assets”. FSB has published a framework, developed with the BIS Committee … more
In the last week of June 2018, US manufacturer Tesla produces 7,000 cars. These include 5,000 Model 3 electric sedans, beating its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3s per week before the close of the second quarter to demonstrate it could mass produce the battery-powered sedan. The company has promised to eventually sell the Model 3 at US$ 35,000, seeking … more
On 29 May Starbucks closes over 8,000 of its US stores to provide racial-bias education for its employees. This follows controversy around the arrest of two black men at one of its Philadelphia stores. The training is provided to over 174,000 employees with the aim to prevent discrimination in Starbucks stores. This comes two years after Starbucks was one of … more
In April 2018 the Investment Association of asset managers whose members own a-third of the FTSE, and the governmental Hampton-Alexander Review send letters to 35 of the UK’s largest listed companies with low female representation at leadership level, calling for action on gender diversity. The recipient companies with low representation of women in top management and among their direct reports … more
On 23 March South Africa`s Naspers announces it would sell US$ 10bn of its shares in Chinese media giant Tencent. It foresees the sale to raise money for funding investments across a portfolio of ecommerce and tech assets in emerging markets, incl shares in the holding company of Mail.ru (Russia) and Flipkart (India). Traditionally known as a print media company … more
On 14 February Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam has a hard time explaining to media the closure of its product VelocitySharesDaily Inverse VIX Short-Term Exchange-Traded Note (ETN). The bank announced it would terminate the second-largest publicly traded product betting on future swings in the S&P 500 after its value plunged. Explaining the initial intention of providing a trading tool for … more
On 31 January Tencent Music Entertainment, part of China`s gaming and social mediagiant Tencent Holdings, joins Sony Music Entertainment in announcing that they are forming a new music label. The new label Liquid State will be dedicated to promoting electronic and dance music by showcasing Asian DJs. Digital music subscription income in China is expected to more than double from … more
US investment firm Manning & Napier ($31.7bn AuM) files a claim against UK retailer Tesco over its 2014 accounting scandal. The follows an earlier lawsuit filed against Tesco in October by Allianz Global Investors, Russell Investments and 110 other investors. In 2014 Tesco disclosed that it had misstated its profits during the first half of that year. The discrepancy eventually … more
Part of a series of reports published by The Inquiry into a Sustainable Global Financial System in mid-November 2017, the Singapore-based DBS digital bank reports that annual ASEAN green investment needs to grow 400% to guard against climate and environmental risks. The Green Finance Opportunities in Asian report by DBS and the UN Environment Inquiry signaled that USD 3 trillion … more
Walmart`s share price increases significantly on 10 October after optimistic earnings guidance and a $20bn share buyback programme was announced by the company before its annual investor day meeting. It`s stock rose 4.5% to $84.13, taking its year-to-date gain to almost 22%. Walmart expected earnings to climb 5% in the next fiscal year as its investment in ecommerce continued to … more
On 29 September US regulators decide that AIG insurance will no longer be considered a threat to financial stability, removing its classification as “systemically important financial institution” (SIFI). The majority decision was taken by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which decides whether non-bank financial companies are SIFIs. The decision frees the insurer from the threat of more stringent capital rules. … more
Big Four audit firms face heavy penalties for audit failures. On 15 August KPMG is fined over $6.2m by the US Securities and Exchanges Commission for its 2011 audit of oil and gas company Miller Energy. Charged for accounting fraud, Miller had overvalued certain assets by more than 100 times. On 16 August PwC is fined £5.1m by the UK Financial Reporting Council for … more
On 6 July Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot announces that France will ban the sale of any car that uses petrol or diesel fuel by 2040. Three weeks later his example is followed by the UK Government, announcing that new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK as of 2040. At the same time BMW announces that … more
On 29 June the FSB Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures publishes its Recommendations. Focused on climate-related “Financial” disclosures, they expect the disclosures to be included in annual financial reporting. The disclosures involved should reflect correct pricing of climate-related risks. The Recommendations provide guidance (e.g on KPIs) related to certain financial categories – core Elements of financial statements. The Recommendations related to Strategy and … more
In its Financial Stability Review of 2 May, the South African Reserve Bank sights the probability of further downgrades to South Africa’s credit ratings. This may weaken the currency and lead to higher borrowing costs. In April the sovereign credit rating was cut to junk (debt “non-investment grade” or “speculative”) by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings Ltd. Having South … more
On 26 April Switzerland’s second biggest bank Credit Suisse reports a first quarter net income of CHF 596bn, reversing a CHF 302m loss a year earlier. This appears to be part of a trend of European banks getting back on a road of recovery. Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam among others announced that he intends to raise CHF 14bn through … more
It is reported that capital flows to emerging markets have turned positive for the first time since the 2nd quarter of 2014, having attracted a net US$ 28,6bn in the 1st quarter of 2017. This comes after the Washington DC-based Institute of International Finance (IIF) reported that cross-border portfolio flows in March were at their highest monthly level since January … more
On 17 February Kraft Heinz announces a US$ 143bn take-over bid for Unilever, only to be withdrawn two days later after strong pushback from the Unilever chief executive and Board. The potential benefits were questioned by Unilever shareholders, 70% of whom are long-term investors who have held their shares for over 7 years. The failed bid did raise concerns about … more
The World Economic Forum (WEF) publishes its Global Risks Report on 11 January. Based on its Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) with feedback from 750 experts, it concludes that rising income and wealth disparity and increasing polarization of societies are 1st and 3d respectively among underlying trends that will determine global developments in the next decade. Among top environmental issues ranking both high-risk … more
From 26-29 December Japanese conglomerate Toshiba loses almost half its share price value as investors respond to its multibillion dollar writedown warning. The Financial Times reports a loss of trust among investors in a company that since 2015 has shown “slack corporate governance and repeated disclosure failures”. Japanese R&I downgraded Toshiba’s credit rating from BBB minus to BB. The warning … more
On 8 November Donald Trump surprisingly wins the US presidential election. He wins 306 electoral votes and Hillary Clinton 232, but gets only 46,2% of the popular vote versus Clinton’s 48,3%. Election polls and investors expected Clinton to win. In the initial market shock reaction Dow futures fall 800 points and the S&P 500 by 5%. European stocks fall and Japan’s Nikkei stock exchange closes 5.4% lower. … more
On 5 October the climate convention (UNFCCC) secretariat states that the threshold for entry into force of the Paris Agreement was achieved. This follows receipt of instruments of ratification of the EU and Canada. The Paris Agreement consequently enters into force a month later on 4 November. The speed at which countries ratified the agreement was unprecedented in international treaty-making history. To … more
On 6 September the Financial Times reports that most banks today deliver a return on equity (RoE) of only 5% – 10%. This is far from the high point in bank returns during years before the financial crisis of 2008 onwards. A decade earlier for example HSBC made a RoE of 17% and Goldman Sachs 25% – 30%. Non-Nordic European … more
From 5-21 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro hosts the Summer Olympic Games. The costs of hosting the Games include sports-related costs and broader infrastructure-related costs. The sports-related costs of Rio 2016 was estimated to be US$ 4.6 billion, some 51% over budget. With broader costs added, the overall cost was estimated at US$ 12 billion – of which the greater … more
In July 2016 global corporations assess the material consequences of Brexit. Analysis published by The Economist (9 July) highlights the likely implications for diverse industries. These include European multinationals with investments in an economy that holds some 7% of world FDI. Worries about different regulations applying in the UK versus EU affect especially industries such as ICT (transnational data transfer), airlines (open continental operations), … more
In a referendum on 23 June, 52% of the British voting population decides that the United Kingdom should leave the European Union. The historical vote sends shockwaves through financial markets world-wide. Broader economic consequences for the UK will unfold in coming years. The immediate impacts hit in particular British financial institutions as well as housing and travel companies as a … more
On 2 May federal prosecutors in Brazil announce that they will seek R$155bn (US$44bn) in damages from BHP Billiton and Vale, which operate the iron miner Samarco as 50/50 joint venture. This follows one of Brazil’s biggest environmental disasters ever in November 2015 when a Samarco wastewater tailings dam burst. It among others left 17 people dead and over 500 … more
On 3 April 2016 news breaks on the Panama Papers, a leak of 11.5m files from the database of Mossack Fonseca (world 4th biggest offshore law firm). Leaked a year earlier to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, over 400 journalists world-wide analysed the documents for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Its revelations about offshore accounts for tax evasion purposes imply hundreds of politicians, business … more
On 10 March the ECB announces a cut in its deposit rate to minus 0.4%. Aimed at boosting the Eurozone economy, the move is highly material to the profitability and share value of banks. The ECB also decides against introducing a tiered deposit rate structure, a system of multiple rates used in Switzerland and Japan to encourage lending to companies while … more
On 2 February Larry Fink, CEO of the world’s largest asset management firm BlackRock, sends a letter to the CEOs of the S&P 500 in which he attacks market short-termism. He asks every CEO to “lay out for shareholders each year a strategic framework for long-term value creation”, one reviewed by board members. It raises the time dimension of materiality. He challenges … more
On 14 January the World Economic Forum (WEF) publishes its Global Risks Report. From survey feedback of 750 respondents, the two greatest global risks in terms of impact and likelihood are “Failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation” and “Large-scale involuntary migration”. Migration is a higher concern among short-term (18 months) risks, whereas the resource-related issues of climate, water and … more
On 12 December governments at COP 21 finalise a new agreement following the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Fossil fuel producers play down its significance. Others describe it as historic. Richard Branson speaks of a “Paris effect” that will ensure the economy of the future is clean energy driven. The pact implies a science-based net zero emissions target for the 2nd half of … more
On 4 November the New York State Attorney-General sends a subpoena to ExxonMobil requesting financial records and other documentation for an investigation on whether the company misled investors and the public about climate change risks and how it could affect ExxonMobil. The Attorney-General’s office has broad powers to initiate financial fraud cases because of New York state’s Martin Act (1921). … more
Thomson Reuters Launches an online, multimedia report entitled “Seven Reasons the World will be Sustainable”. It profiles the challenge for the Global 500 to take on carbon pricing. It also quotes the Global Sustainable Investment Review, highlighting that the global sustainable investment market has grown from $13.3 trillion in 2012 to $21.4 trillion in 2014, representing 30.2% of professionally managed … more
In September 2015 US regulators found Volkswagen guilty of intentionally falsifying emissions data. It catalyzed much debate on VW, the car manufacturing industry and test standards in Europe to limit air polluting NOx emissions. While consumer reaction worldwide did not immediately show a dramatic impact on sales revenues, investors made their displeasure clear. VW shares fell 70% over the following … more
After the Black Monday China stock market crash of 24 August, Apple’s shares dropped 10% as investors were concerned about its exposure to the Chinese market. Later that day Apple CEO Tim Cook took the unprecedented step of replying to an email of the TV host of the CNBC show Mad Money. He indicated that Apple has continued to see … more
