Corporate Finance Publications

2014

1. Global Economic Growth Scenarios 2020: The Impact of Investments and Reforms across Seven Major Regions
   

   June 2014 | Research Report

   This report presents analysis of the global economy and seven major world economies—including four scenarios that depend on policy effects—so that leaders can make decisions that foster growth.

2. How Do Financial Markets Respond to Corporate Sustainability Disclosure?
   

   April 2014 | Director Notes

   While established evidence shows that bad corporate environmental news is punished by the market, emerging evidence shows that, in some instances, superior environmental performance may also be punished.

3. Developing an Effective Climate Change Strategy
   

   February 2014 | Director Notes

   Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies are becoming increasingly important. This report details eight steps for developing such strategies and provides examples of companies that have done so.

2013

1. Investments in Intellectual Property: New Footprints in Macroeconomic Data
   

   December 2013 | Executive Action Report

   New macroeconomic data show U.S. investment in intellectual property products totaled $812 billion, or 5 percent of GDP, in 2012.

2. How Much Does Your Company Really Invest in Innovation?
   

   October 2013 | Executive Action Report

   Innovation is more than R&D. It includes the full range of activities needed to implement or commercialize new ideas. But how are those activities measured for bottom-line impact?

3. Giving in Numbers: 2013 Edition
   

   September 2013 | Research Report

   Fifty-nine percent of companies recommitted to their communities by giving more to charity in 2012 than they did before the recession took hold in late 2007.

4. Scenario Planning: Opportunities for Mid-Market Firms
   

   September 2013 | Executive Action Report

   Forecasting works well in the short term, but it assumes today’s trends will be tomorrow’s. In the medium term, scenario planning helps companies prepare for the uncertainties of the future.

5. China Center Chart of the Week: China’s credit-to-GDP gap in the “danger zone”
   

   August 2013 | China Center Publications

   International experience shows that once the credit-to-GDP gap crosses a certain threshold, the likelihood of a financial crisis occurring within three years rises dramatically.

6. China Center Chart of the Week: Formal bank loans - no longer the stalwart of Chinese finance
   

   March 2013 | China Center Publications

   This chart shows newly issued net Total Social Finance in China on a quarterly basis, broken down into its constituent parts. The share of non-bank finance has grown markedly.

2012

1. When the Debt Incurred in a Cash Merger Causes the Target to Fail: Protecting Target Directors
   

   September 2012 | Director Notes

   This report describes the potential liability directors may face if they approve a cash merger financed in substantial part through borrowing and the target company fails. It also offers steps directors can consider to help mitigate that risk.

2. Education and Corporate Philanthropy: Focus Funding for Maximum Impact
   

   August 2012 | Council Perspectives

   Developing a lens through which to evaluate each potential corporate philanthropy program is critical to success and maximizing impact.

3. China Center LEI Commentary: Real economic activity remains weak – credit alone drives the LEI in June
   

   August 2012 | China Center Publications

   Interpretive Comments on The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for China, July 2012 (June 2012 data)

4. Giving in Numbers: 2012 Edition
   

   June 2012 | Research Report

   How and how much do Fortune 500 companies donate? This report analyzes 2011 trends among 214 companies, including 62 of the top 100.

5. Fostering Retirement and Financial Security in an Era of Individual Responsibility
   

   May 2012 | Executive Action Report

   Individuals must assume more responsibility for the adequate funding of their retirement years. Enlightened companies are providing their employees with tools to help.

6. Financial Reporting Challenges for 2012
   

   February 2012 | Director Notes

   This report examines key messages and disclosure guidance issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to assist public company executives and directors in preparing and reviewing 2012 periodic reports.

2011

1. Using the Leading Credit Index^TM to Predict Turning Points in the U.S. Business Cycle
   

   December 2011 | Economics Program Working Paper Series

   by Gad Levanon, Jean-Claude Manini, Ataman Ozyildirim, Brian Schaitkin, and Jennelyn Tanchua
   December 2011 - EPWP #11 – 05

2. 2011 Corporate Contributions Report
   

   November 2011 | Research Report

   This report is based on the 2011 edition of The Conference Board Corporate Contributions Survey, which gathered data on charitable contributions made by U.S.-based companies in FY2010.

3. Role of CFOs in Material Accounting Manipulations
   

   May 2011 | Director Notes

   This report investigates the factors that may lead a CFO to engage in accounting manipulations.

2010

1. 2010 Institutional Investment Report: Trends in Asset Allocation and Portfolio Composition
   

   November 2010 | Research Report

   The annual Institutional Investment report provides a comprehensive analysis of the asset growth and portfolio composition of institutional investors operating in the United States.

2. Euro Area: Looking Through the Turbulence in Financial Markets
   

   June 2010 | Executive Action Report

   Despite the overwhelming sense of crisis in the Euro Area, recovery from the global recession is still underway.

3. Financial Services Offshoring: Moving Toward Fewer Captives and Global Cost Competitiveness
   

   March 2010 | Executive Action Report

   Financial services companies show greater interest than other sectors in contracting with large international providers and becoming more cost competitive by moving operations to lower labor cost locations

2009

1. 2009 Institutional Investment Report
   

   October 2009 | Research Report

   The Institutional Investment report, which is released annually in the fall, is the most comprehensive analysis of the asset growth and portfolio composition of institutional investors operating in the United States.

2. Recession Lessons for Mid-Market CFOs: Successfully Obtaining Loans in the New World of Credit
   

   September 2009 | Executive Action Report

   Even though signs of an economic recovery are emerging, recession challenges and a shutdown of easy credit have changed the lending world for CFOs of small- and mid-sized firms

2007

1. 2007 Institutional Investment Report
   

   February 2007 | Research Report

   Despite market declines between 2000 and 2002, by 2005 institutional investors had regained much of their lost ground, both in total assets and in equity ownership control in U.S. markets.

2. Citizenship and Sustainability: Doing Good Can Be Good for Business
   

   January 2007 | Executive Action Report

   Small and mid-size companies are finding that expanding corporate citizenship and sustainability programs is a smart business decision that can enhance public image and do good even with limited resources.

2005

1. Gaining Momentum in Mainstream Investing . . . or Not?
   

   October 2005 | Executive Action Report

   The potential for ESG integration is at a critical point. Has the importance of ESG factors in mainstream investment analysis been set?

2. 2005 Institutional Investment Report: U.S. and International Trends
   

   September 2005 | Research Report

   This report covers the most relevant aspects of domestic and international institutional investment trends.

3. Beyond Costs: Financial and Operational Risks
   

   June 2005 | Research Report

   This report explores a number of important factors that must be taken into account when initiating offshoring, ranging from a consideration of unexpected setup costs to how to decide on a location.

4. How CFOs Carve Out Time for What Counts Most
   

   April 2005 | Executive Action Report

   With job descriptions expanding steadily, CFOs of smaller and mid-sized companies have to make sure they focus on the tasks that most benefit the bottom line.

2003

1. Public Trust in Financial Markets Makes Modest Comeback
   

   July 2003 | Executive Action Report

   Despite a slew of recent corporate scandals, a survey reveals that consumer trust of corporate managers, markets, and earnings reports steadily increased from September 2002 through May of 2003.

2. Institutional Investment Report - March 2003
   

   February 2003 | Research Report

   Financial assets and equity holdings—patterns of institutional investment and control.

2002

1. Institutional Investment Report - May 2002
   

   May 2002 | Research Report

   Equity ownership and investment strategies of U.S. and international institutional investors.

2001

1. Managing Culture in Mergers and Acquisitions
   

   November 2001 | Research Report

   This study of cultural issues is designed to provide executives with a range of ideas and practices to improve the management of mergers and acquisitions and to contribute to the overall success of post-merger integration.

2000

1. Post-Merger Integration: A Human Resources Perspective
   

   September 2000 | Research Report

   Employees in both acquiring and acquired companies are the least visible constituency in the merger process, raising questions about assertions by top management that people are their most important assets.

2. Performance Measurement During Merger and Acquisition Integration
   

   July 2000 | Research Report

   Most M&A transactions fail to live up to expectations, but companies that prioritize integration planning and target setting prior to closing are more likely to succeed than those that don’t.

3. Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Corporate Citizenship
   

   June 2000 | Research Report

   Americans hold companies completely or partially responsible for operating profitably, paying their fair share of taxes, providing long-term jobs, and helping community projects. Yet M&A can put such actions in jeopardy.

4. Corporate Governance and Cross-Border Mergers
   

   June 2000 | Research Report

   Driven by pressure to compete globally, companies are increasingly making cross-border rather than domestic M&A deals. Senior executives discuss how they handle corporate governance before, during, and after such mergers.

5. Implementing a Post-Merger Integration
   

   January 2000 | Research Report

   Executives and business experts discuss some of the global trends in M&A and share their experiences in developing a strategic context for M&A integration, creating a corporate culture, and measuring integration success.

1999

1. Post-Merger Organization Handbook
   

   June 1999 | Research Report

   Your company's just been merged. Now how do you blend your staffs, operations, and resources to make it work? The answers are here.

1997

1. CFO 2000: The CFO as Global Business Partner
   

   June 1997 | Research Report

   According to a survey, 75 percent of CFOs believe they should lead
   shareholder-value initiatives. CFOs also expect to spend more time with their
   CEO and business executives on strategic activities.