In the world of mergers and acquisitions, companies are often acquired at prices which reflect high multiples of earnings, revenue or assets. This premium in large part represents the value which is assigned to intangibles, and a major contributor to this is the company’s reputation in the market.  Understanding the strength of a company’s reputation can help determine a negotiation strategy, or even uncover cause to pull out.

Record high oil prices, rising food costs, the US mortgage crisis, weak financial markets and global inflation all characterize 2008, rattling the very essence of our consumption-driven economies.  These difficult times make us rethink our habits as both consumers and as business people operating in the broader global play.  Just as shifting economic currents are molding consumption habits, so too are they challenging companies to rethink their modus operandi. 

The evolution of anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing regulations is causing the private banking community to speak out and claim that these actions are scaring investors away.   This notion of banking privacy in the US still lingers, but does it exist in practice today?

Recent trends in global consumption, such as Asia’s surging need for commodities and a growing international market for bio-fuels, have favorably positioned Latin America as a key supplier of raw materials and other base products. As multinational and local players expand to meet urgent demand, both management and investors should be aware of escalating labor issues that can undermine profitability in such ventures. Labor violations, disputes, and union-related violence are becoming more visible and costly beyond purely reputational concerns, exposing foreign investments to elevated levels of specific labor-related risks.