US boom sharpens inflation warning in October’s flash PMIs
by Ben Poole
Strong demand, rising backlogs and supply delays saw companies pass on higher costs to customers in October.
Cash & Liquidity Management
Background
Effective liquidity management is as much an art as a science. The main objectives of cash and liquidity management are to free up all the company's cash whilst minimising processing costs, to…
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UK corporates struggle to put £1.12bn cash to work
by Ben Poole
82% of UK firms believe they are missing potential income by failing to optimise excess cash.
Late payments test North American liquidity as trade credit grows
by Ben Poole
North American businesses are relying more heavily on trade credit to support sales, but the working capital cost is becoming harder to ignore.
US surge widens growth gap as global costs climb
by Ben Poole
September’s flash PMI surveys revealed an increasingly uneven global economy.
Corporate FX hedging hits record lows as rate outlooks split
by Ben Poole
Corporate finance teams in the UK and US cut both the amount and duration of their FX hedging in Q2.
Trade uncertainty pulls treasury deeper into supply chain decisions
by Ben Poole
Competitive advantage for corporates is becoming led by capability rather than location.
Cash management becomes the test of finance transformation
by Ben Poole
Finance leaders are being asked to modernise at speed while tightening their grip on cash.
Global growth proves resilient as inflation signals diverge
by Ben Poole
New economic data shows a more resilient picture of global growth than the geopolitical backdrop might suggest.
Europe’s payment mix widens as mobile acceptance surges
by Ben Poole
Companies across the euro area are adding payment methods faster than they are removing them, leaving finance teams to manage a broader mix at POS.
European CFOs turn defensive as uncertainty deepens
by Ben Poole
European CFO confidence has deteriorated sharply as geopolitical risk, energy costs, and margin pressures take hold.
Idle cash exposes the current limits of real-time treasury
by Ben Poole
Treasury teams want immediate liquidity availability but systems, investment structures and banking relationships can hamper this.
July’s economic data puts forecasts back under pressure
by Ben Poole
The global economy regained some momentum at the start of the third quarter, while giving treasurers more moving parts to build into their forecasts.
Swift tackles hidden delays in cross-border payments
by Ben Poole
A new research paper has put numbers on one of the industry’s most persistent problems.
Policy uncertainty pushes FX into North American boardrooms
by Ben Poole
Policy uncertainty, dollar volatility and shifting rate expectations are delaying projects, reshaping supply chains and changing where firms operate.
Corporate growth exposes cracks in treasury infrastructure
by Ben Poole
As cash spreads across more entities and banks, treasury’s ability to see, forecast and control it struggles to keep pace.
Factory stockpiling masks fragile global growth in June
by Ben Poole
June's flash PMIs point to a world economy moving at sharply different speeds, with the Middle East conflict distorting both demand and costs.
Treasurers build cash buffers as stablecoins stall
by Ben Poole
Treasurers are keeping short-term portfolios anchored in traditional liquid assets and leaving stablecoins largely outside daily liquidity strategy.
Why CFOs should turn AI activity into measurable value
by Ben Poole
CFOs need to move beyond isolated AI pilots and build more disciplined finance road maps if they want to deliver measurable business impacts.
Treasurers turn defensive as volatility becomes business as usual
by Ben Poole
New research shows the treasury community has become more accustomed to macro shocks, but is not complacent about them.
Why treasury matters in M&A
by Ben Poole
Cash visibility, trapped liquidity, FX risk, funding plans and banking structures are a few of the areas where treasury is essential.
Supply chain stress reaches 2022 crisis levels
by Ben Poole
Supply chain strain has reached its highest level since pandemic-era disruption, as the Middle East conflict stokes fresh shortage fears.
War tests Sweden’s economic resilience
by Ben Poole
Sweden’s economy is set for a temporary slowdown, but low inflation, rising household incomes, public investment and a cautious Riksbank offer hope.
Payment delays and geopolitics test exporters
by Ben Poole
While war in the Middle East added another shock to the global economy, 75% of firms still expect positive export growth this year.
Middle East shock hits global growth and prices
by Ben Poole
Global business activity lost momentum sharply in March as the war in the Middle East rattled demand, confidence, supply chains and pricing.