On Wednesday the OECD published its twice-yearly economic forecast, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the global economy to a rapid halt. In its announcement, the OECD acknowledges and welcomes the various economic, health and containment measures introduced by national governments to prevent the virus’ spread but warned of the “most severe recession in nearly a century.” While restrictions are easing and economies are reopening, the club of the 100 richest economies cautioned against too much optimism in the continued absence...

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Key insights The SBA updated the loan forgiveness application and issued a new Interim Final Rule (IFR) to incorporate more of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020. New Form 3508EZ is available for borrowers who meet certain criteria. The application and IFR provide some key information for borrowers about how the PPP Flexibility Act will be applied. While many borrowers welcomed the passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (PPP Flexibility Act), it still left them with questions about how the Small...

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This study shows how insider transaction data can be used to generate profitable trading signals, and enhanced using a News Sentiment overlay. Generating Alpha from Insider Transactions News about how company executives are trading their share holdings, also known as insider transactions data, can provide novel insights for investors and an information edge, according to this white paper. When put to the test the data can lead to alpha-generation, says the research carried out by RavenPack’s Data Science team. Their findings show a...

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On June 22, 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending the entry of individuals to the U.S. from several nonimmigrant visa categories, effective 12:01 a.m. ET on June 24, 2020 and ending December 31, 2020. This order may be continued as deemed necessary and modifications may be made within 30 days and subsequently every 60 days. The visas affected by this executive order include: H-1B or H-2B visas, and any family/foreign nationals that would accompany the principal visa holder J...

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Although many businesses are prepared for minor setbacks, identifying the steps to take during a major disaster isn't always easy. An international trade finance company can help reduce your exposure to the economic risks within your supply chain. Additionally, there are other ways to minimize the operational and financial impacts on your supply chain during a crisis. 1. Plan for Disruptions Ahead of Time Setting up an effective supply chain contingency policy requires time and planning. During most catastrophes, you'll have limited time...

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Europe is the number one destination for US foreign direct investment (FDI) – according to US government data. Its countries dominate league tables of country attractiveness. That trend does not look like changing any time soon. But the tumultuous global events of the year have accelerated protectionist moves based on national security across Europe, as they have in the rest of the world. What does this mean for a US business looking to invest into Europe or divest assets...

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Policy was unchanged with FFR at 0.0-0.25%, forward guidance remained unchanged and the Fed committed to at least maintain the current pace of asset purchases. The accompanying statement was mainly unchanged, describing “sharp declines” in activity, but acknowledging improvement in financial conditions. The Fed published medium-term projections for the first time in six months. The Fed expects a slower rebound than we currently project for 2020, with more of a catch up in 2021. Fed Chair Powell described...

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On June 9, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced via its Twitter account that it had launched a website dedicated to the monitoring and enforcement functions of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the Committee). The enforcement website, which includes an email tipline—both CFIUS firsts—is a visible indicator of the recent steady increase in CFIUS' monitoring of and enforcement actions aimed at foreign investment transactions. Now that CFIUS has largely finished...

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The coronavirus pandemic hit the proverbial “pause button” on virtually all M&A deals that were on the cusp of completion. But businesses can take advantage of this hiatus to better position themselves to close their deals when markets reopen — yes, even in our new socially-distanced world. It’s late February and you had an M&A deal that was well underway. A buyer was lined up. The projection models were all finished. The investment thesis was ironclad. You knew the value...

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