FEI Weekly

October 14, 2019

SEC moves to cut whistleblower payouts, EBITA ShmEBITA, clean your own mug

SEC Moves to Take Some Air Out of Whistleblowers

Associated Press

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is moving to revamp itsl whistleblower program that seeks to police Wall Street and punish corporate fraud. The proposal would give the SEC discretion to set the smallest and largest cash awards to whistleblowers and impose new requirements for filing a whistleblower complaint. The SEC has collected some 26,000 tips and complaints, resulting in more than $2 billion in penalties and restitution.

Trade War Cease Fire

MarketWatch

President Donald Trump said Washington will suspend a tariff hike planned for Tuesday on $250 billion of Chinese goods. In exchange, Trump said China agreed to buy as much as $50 billion of American farm goods. Companies acknowledged Friday’s agreement was a modest step and appealed to both governments to step up efforts to end the fight.

Clean Your Own Mug, Buy Your Own Stupid Card

Wall Street Jounal

Buying and circulating birthday cards, taking notes and office dishwasher. Some women are pushing back on so-called office housework that interruptus the actual work they were hired to do. Managers are more likely to call on women for less glamorous tasks, researchers say, and women sometimes find themselves volunteering.

Earnings Before.. Whatever

Institutional Investor

In private companies, the most commonly cited measure of average valuation is called the EBITDA multiple. EBITDA multiples have continued to hit new highs, with the average buy-out deal transacting at approximately 11 times EBITDA through the first half of 2019. And EBITDA has become pretty much just a made up number at this point, whatever management wants it to be.

Retirement’s Lost Generation

Business Insider

Exactly half of Gen Xers don't have a retirement savings account, according to a new survey. That's only slightly less than the share of millennial respondents who don't have one (54%). And even those who are contributing to a 401(k) aren't saving enough. That's particularly concerning considering the nearly two-decade span between the youngest millennials and oldest Gen Xers.