October 2009 Archives

After delaying Section 404 compliance for small companies at least four times since Sarbanes Oxley became law in 2002, the SEC has set a compliance deadline of June 15, 2010 for companies with market caps of less than $75 million.  Section 404 requires that companies publicly report on the effectiveness of their internal control over financial reporting.

In a recent public statement, Mary Schapiro, the SEC’s new chairman, commented that, "Since there will be no further commission extensions, it is important for all public companies and their auditors to act with deliberate speed to move toward full Section 404 compliance."

Section 404 compliance is both time consuming and expensive, so if you haven’t begun planning with your auditor, there’s no time like the present.

-- Laurie Berman, Senior Vice President, lberman@pondel.com

Published in IR Alert

As a group, investors in publicly traded companies are still mad as hell. They don't want to take it anymore, and... they aren't.

The "it" reflects deep continuing pain from the protracted economic abyss—smaller paychecks, unrecovered losses in retirement savings, sustained near record unemployment and a litany of maladies that are redefining the role of capitalism.

Despite the market's stellar performance so far this year, anger and angst abound among investors, be they professional money managers or individuals. They are flexing their muscles and reacting like never before.

Join NIRI LA for a free webinar Tuesday, October 6 at 1 p.m. PDT to discuss how companies are prioritizing sustainability, environmental and social issues.  An increasing number of companies are embracing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues to meet the expectations of investors and possible SEC mandates.  Find out what you need to know about upcoming requirements and hear from top experts in the field who will provide you with practical and useful insights.