Public companies set a record in 2005 that they may not want to celebrate. Thanks to Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 and lease accounting issues, 2005 was a record year for restatements. But experts say the outlook should be better for 2006. Turner 2005 saw more than 1,200 restatements—about double the number for all of 2004, says […]
Melissa Klein Aguilar
SEC Plan Expected To Ease Comp-Related 8-K Filings
While preparing a proxy statement may get more complicated under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed compensation disclosure rules, preparing an 8-K should be somewhat easier, at least regarding compensation-related disclosures. Included in the SEC’s lengthy rule proposal are planned changes to amend Form 8-K that would limit the circumstances where compensation arrangements would trigger […]
Pay Disclosure: CD&A Rule Portends Big Changes
As companies struggle to digest the details of and prepare comments on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s whopping 370-page proposal for new rules on executive compensation and related-party transaction disclosures, one section they’re likely to linger over are the pages that describe the new Compensation Discussion and Analysis section. Experts say the proposal marks a […]
Yet Again, SEC Pushes For The Adoption Of XBRL
In hopes of stepping up its effort to get companies to file their financial reports using interactive data, the Securities and Exchange Commission is sweetening the pot for companies that volunteer to be part of a test group with a plan to offer expedited reviews of registration statements and annual reports. The move comes roughly […]
Changes Afoot, And Welcome, For Best-Price Rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission wants comments on proposed revisions to its so-called “best-price” rule, which observers say should bring more clarity to how the rule will apply to employment arrangements hatched during tender-offer merger deals. Pryor The proposed revisions “are the most significant change to the tender-offer rules to come down the pike since […]
Global Reporting Initiative Seeks Comments On New Draft
The nonprofit Global Reporting Initiative is seeking comments on a draft of its third generation Guidelines for Sustainability Reporting. The GRI is an independent “multi-stakeholder” organization that has developed voluntary guidelines for companies that report on the economic, environmental and social dimensions of their businesses. Those corporate reports, typically called “sustainability reports” that are issued […]
Executive Pay: And Now, The Comments Begin…
The devil is always in the details when it comes to executive compensation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s attempt to regulate executive pay is proving no different. The Commission formally outlined its ideas for overhauling compensation at a meeting Jan. 17. Among the goals of Chairman Christopher Cox: detailed disclosure of total compensation of […]
Euro Directive Seeks To Improve Shareholder Access
The European Commission issued its latest draft proposal for a directive aimed at eliminating obstacles to cross-border voting and enhancing other shareholder rights. The proposed directive seeks “to ensure that shareholders, no matter where in the EU they reside, have timely access to complete information and simple means to exercise certain rights—notably voting rights—at a […]
SEC Upgrades Probe Of Stock Option Disclosures At IBM
The Securities and Exchange Commission has elevated a probe into IBM’s stock option disclosures to a formal investigation, the Armonk, N.Y.-based computer giant disclosed last week. IBM said it has been “cooperating with the SEC in an informal investigation of this matter, and will continue to do so.” Big Blue noted that the SEC has […]
France OKs Online Approval Of Whistleblower Plans
In a move expected to clear a path for companies seeking to implement whistleblower systems in France that will comply with both the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and French data protection laws, the French Data Protection Agency has set up a means to let companies get the required approval of their systems online. As expected, the Commission […]
