Today's Finance Pulse
Buy‑Side Commercial Due Diligence: A Multi‑Disciplinary Playbook for Acquisitions
Buy‑side commercial due diligence is a systematic, multi‑disciplinary evaluation that buyers run before closing an acquisition. It goes beyond the balance sheet to assess market dynamics, customer relationships, operational capabilities and regulatory compliance, and follows a five‑stage process that begins with target screening. The approach helps buyers form a realistic view of future performance and mitigate hidden risks.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Trump Administration pumps $2B into quantum computing firms
Could a Cap on Credit-Card Rates Really Hurt Consumers?
The episode examines President Trump's proposal to impose a temporary 10% cap on credit‑card interest rates, exploring the arguments from big banks that such a limit could restrict credit availability and disproportionately affect vulnerable borrowers. It also touches on soaring metal prices, particularly copper and tin, and discusses how, despite new U.S. tariffs, China posted a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus. Experts weigh the trade‑off between consumer protection and the health of the credit market, highlighting potential unintended consequences of rate caps.
Donald Trump’s Crusade Against Usury Reaches Wall Street
President Donald Trump has turned his anti‑usury rhetoric into a Wall Street‑focused campaign, urging the Federal Reserve to cut benchmark rates and targeting private lenders he deems predatory. The White House has begun filing formal complaints against payday‑loan operators and...
Is Passive Investment Inflating a Stockmarket Bubble?
A decade after a provocative Bernstein note, passive investing now dominates U.S. equity funds, holding roughly 60 % of net assets. The surge is driven by low fees, algorithmic trading, and confidence in market efficiency, concentrating ownership among a few index...
It’s Not Just the Fed. Politics Looms over Central Banks Everywhere
Central banks worldwide are confronting heightened political pressure, challenging long‑standing notions of independence. In the United States, President Donald Trump has publicly urged the Federal Reserve to accelerate rate cuts, intensifying a clash with Chair Jerome Powell. The tension escalated...
Let’s Use AI Effectively in Our Internal Audit Practice
The article argues that internal audit functions should adopt AI not because they risk obsolescence, but because AI can automate low‑value, high‑intensity tasks and free auditors for strategic work. It references AuditBoard and KPMG’s 12 AI use cases, ranging from...
Refinancing Into Deterioration
The episode dissects Molson Coors' looming $2.4 billion refinancing challenge amid a sharp operational downturn, highlighted by an 11.9% drop in pretax income, a $3.6 billion goodwill impairment, and rising net leverage to 2.28x. Volume shrinkage—especially in the economy and flavored‑alcohol segments—combined...
Heat Pumps That Pay: How Industrial Process Heat Is Becoming a Cost-Saving Asset
Industrial heat, the world’s largest energy end‑use, is now a balance‑sheet issue as manufacturers grapple with volatile fuel prices and rising carbon costs. A new generation of high‑temperature heat pumps can deliver up to ~200 °C, turning waste heat and low‑grade...
1155: Scaling Growth Without Sacrificing Outcomes | Bruce Schuman, CFO, Universal TechnicalInstitute
In this episode, Bruce Schuman, CFO of Universal Technical Institute, shares how his 27‑year finance career—shaped by Intel’s culture of "constructive confrontation"—taught him to frame decisions around customer impact and outcomes. He argues that FP&A should be an active player...
Accounting Revolution From Below
In this episode, Sebastian challenges the traditional top‑down approach to accounting standardization, arguing that policies alone rarely change frontline behavior. He proposes a bottom‑up model centered on a voluntary Monthly Accounting Excellence Roundtable, where cross‑regional finance teams share real‑world problems,...
Market View: Profits, Premium Seats & a Check-In Button
In this episode, Michelle Martin and Ryan Huang dissect the paradox of strong earnings reports—JPMorgan Chase’s higher revenue but lower profit and Delta Air Lines’ premium‑travel‑driven profit surge—yet both stocks fell as market expectations outpaced results. They also examine notable...
Audit Firm Runs Afoul of PCAOB Rules By Taking Same As Last Year Way Too Literally
The PCAOB sanctioned Southfield‑based Zwick CPA, its owner Jack Zwick, and audit manager Jeffrey Hoskow for multiple violations during the 2022 audit of energy company Genie. The firm failed to plan risk assessments, gather sufficient evidence on revenue and internal...
#266 The CFO’s Secret Weapon Behind Higher Business Valuations: The Data Cube with David Whitcombe, Founder and Managing Director, Data...
In this episode, Kevin Appleby and data‑analytics expert David Whitcombe explain how a "data cube"—a unified, governed layer that pulls together ERP, CRM, and operational data—gives CFOs a single source of truth that drives higher valuations in private‑equity exits. By...
Goldman Sachs Exchanges: Outlook 2026 | Episode 1: The Big Picture
In the inaugural episode of Goldman Sachs Exchanges: Outlook 2026, senior economists Jan Hatzius and Dominic Wilson outline the macroeconomic forces expected to shape global growth and financial markets through 2026. They highlight three key trends: a gradual deceleration of...
Are Plaintiff Attorneys' Fee Awards in the Delaware Chancery Court Excessive? Part IV
In this episode, the host revisits the ongoing debate about plaintiff attorney fee awards in the Delaware Court of Chancery, focusing on the new empirical study "Is Delaware Different? Stockholder Lawyering in the Court of Chancery" by Stephen J. Choi,...
Agencies Issue 2025 Shared National Credit Program Report
The Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC released the 2025 Shared National Credit (SNC) report, covering syndicated loans originated through June 30, 2025. The portfolio grew 6 percent to $6.9 trillion across 6,857 borrowers, while the share of “non‑pass” loans fell to 8.6 percent of commitments....
Survey Finds Optimism on Growth in 2026 Despite Cyber and Tech Risks
A new Protiviti and NC State ERM survey of over 1,500 global executives reveals strong optimism about revenue growth through 2026, with nearly 70% seeing significant opportunities despite ongoing economic, geopolitical, and technological turbulence. Leaders are shifting from risk avoidance...
Should We Audit Organizational Culture or Behavior?
The IIA’s new Topical Requirement outlines what an organizational‑behavior audit could include, but it does not make such audits mandatory. Norman Marks argues that a standalone audit of culture or behavior is rarely appropriate, recommending instead a risk‑based approach that...
Sleeping Giants
The administration is signaling a willingness to enlist government‑sponsored enterprises (GSEs) such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in its effort to push mortgage rates lower. After the 2008 crisis, the GSEs’ mortgage holdings shrank dramatically, but policymakers see an...
The US Economic ‘K’
Global GDP growth in 2025 steadied at roughly 2.5‑3% despite President Trump’s aggressive tariff campaign. The U.S. economy has taken on a K‑shaped profile: technology and AI‑related firms enjoy soaring valuations while job creation stalls and wages lag for lower‑income...