Category: Securities
Corp Fin issues new and revised CDIs on Rule 701 and Rule 144(d)
by Cydney Posner More new and revised CDIs from Corp Fin today. This time, the CDIs address Rule 701 and the Rule 144(d) holding period.
Is a proxy contest preferable to a quick settlement with activists? Some institutional investors think so
by Cydney Posner The obvious tension between the interests of long-term investors, such as institutional shareholders, and short-term investors, principally represented by hedge fund activists, has been the subject of much discussion of late. Some observers have claimed, as argued in this NYT DealBook column, that the idea behind the financial […]
Corp Fin posts new CDIs on pay-ratio disclosure
by Cydney Posner Corp Fin has just issued several new CDIs regarding pay-ratio disclosure (S-K Item 402(u)). As you probably recall, the pay-ratio provision mandates that the SEC require most public companies to disclose, in a wide range of their SEC filings: the median of the annual total compensation of […]
CPA-Zicklin Index for 2016 shows companies increase disclosure, oversight and restrictions regarding corporate political spending
by Cydney Posner In light of our proximity to election day — finally — it seemed like a good time to take a look at the CPA-Zicklin Index of Political Disclosure and Accountability, just released for 2016, which annually evaluates corporate practices and disclosure regarding political spending. In a record-breaking year […]
Establishing disclosure controls for non-GAAP financial measures
by Cydney Posner With the spotlight now on non-GAAP financial measures, companies might find this article in CFO.com to be particularly useful. The article provides practical guidance to help companies establish effective disclosure controls and procedures for non-GAAP financial measures.
Large companies continue to enhance audit committee disclosures voluntarily, but pass on more delicate disclosures
by Cydney Posner With the PCAOB likely to adopt some form of enhanced disclosure requirement for the auditor’s report (see this PubCo post and this PubCo post regarding the reproposal of disclosure of “critical audit matters”), and the SEC contemplating the addition of a number of disclosure mandates for audit […]
CEO-employee pay ratios may not be as bad as feared, says Mercer study
by Cydney Posner There’s been a lot of hand-wringing about what the data will show when public companies are finally required, in 2018, to disclose their CEO-to-median-employee pay ratios as required by new SEC rules implementing Dodd-Frank (discussed in this Cooley Alert). Not to worry! Those ratios promise to be […]
Climate change tops the list of issues in comments on Reg S-K concept release
by Cydney Posner According to BNA, at a recent conference, Corp Fin Director Keith Higgins reported that the highest proportion of comments so far received on the Reg S-K Concept Release related to better environmental and social responsibility disclosure. As SEC Chair Mary Jo White indicated a few months ago: the […]
Has Corp Fin “evolved” on exclusion of proxy access proposals under Rule 14a-8(i)(10)?
by Cydney Posner Until yesterday, there were five no-action requests regarding proxy access proposals from the McRitchie/Chevedden group awaiting responses from Corp Fin as to whether the proposals could be excluded on the basis that they had been “substantially implemented” under Rule 14a-8(i)(10). The burning question was whether there would […]
No more “Tandy” letters from Corp Fin staff
by Cydney Posner Corp Fin has just announced that it will no longer require companies to include “Tandy” language in company responses to staff comment letters. “Tandy” language is a written representation from the company acknowledging that the disclosure in the document was its responsibility and that it would not […]