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Newmark executives say companies are planning office space based on attendance needs on 'peak days' like Tuesday and Wednesday, rather than simply reducing square footage. Data shows that leased space per office position has only declined about 11% from 2019 to 122 square feet, far below the previously predicted 40% drop. Despite some leases not yet expiring, the market is expected to continue stabilizing in 2026.
A survey released by resume writing company TopResume found that nearly 40% of C-suite executives have considered leaving their jobs in the past year, with half of them having this thought frequently. The report indicates that executives' intention to leave mainly stems from work pressure, burnout, and the pursuit of work-life balance, rather than compensation.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that retail sales rose 0.6% month-on-month in November, reversing the slight decline of the previous month, but consumer confidence remains suppressed by high prices and a weak job market. Atlanta Fed President Bostic believes the tariff shock has faded, and consumption may rebound in the coming months. Meanwhile, labor market data is weak, job growth has slowed, and low-income households are becoming more cautious in spending.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that December core CPI rose 0.2% month-over-month and 2.6% year-over-year, below expectations, reinforcing the Fed's recent policy stance focusing on the labor market rather than inflation pressures.
Duolingo announced on Monday that current audit committee chair Gillian Munson will become chief financial officer on February 23, succeeding outgoing Matt Skaruppa. Skaruppa, who served for six years, led the company through its 2021 IPO, which valued it at $6.5 billion. He will remain as an advisor until November 20 to ensure a smooth handover. Munson previously served as CFO at companies including Vimeo and Iora Health and has been a Duolingo board member since 2019.
New Jersey Governor Murphy signed legislation on Monday allowing CPA candidates to obtain licensure through an alternative path of "bachelor's degree plus two years of work experience plus passing the exam," replacing the previous single requirement of 150 credit hours or a master's degree. This move makes the state the 25th in the nation to adopt the reform, which has progressed significantly faster than the promotion of the 150-credit-hour requirement in the 1980s.
Regions Financial Corp. announced on Monday that Chief Financial Officer David Turner will retire on March 31 after 20 years of service, and will be succeeded by the company's Controller and Corporate Treasurer Anil Chadha. Turner has served as CFO since 2010, and Chadha joined the company in 2011, having previously worked at Ally Financial, Wells Fargo, and Capital One.
Antitrust enforcers are systematically reviewing executive remarks during corporate earnings calls. The EU has used automated tools to screen 350,000 transcripts and subsequently conducted dawn raids on a tire manufacturer. U.S. litigants are also attempting to follow suit, and CFOs face dual compliance challenges under securities law and antitrust law.
According to data from 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, AI-centric M&A activity in the U.S. has surged in recent years: the total deal value in 2025 reached $107.9 billion, up 9.7% year-over-year and nearly 80% higher than in 2022; the number of deals exceeded 600, up from 489 in 2024 and 445 in 2022. Analysts note that companies' 'fear of missing out' on agentic technology entering workflows is driving deal activity. Major transactions such as IBM's $11 billion acquisition of Confluent and ServiceNow's $2.85 billion acquisition of Moveworks highlight the dominance of generative AI and agentic AI. PwC analysis shows that AI drove a surge in overall M&A activity in 2025, despite lingering economic policy uncertainty.
With the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff issuing a no-action letter for the Depository Trust Company (DTC) tokenization pilot, and Nasdaq submitting an application for trading tokenized securities, tokenized assets are rapidly entering mainstream financial infrastructure. This article analyzes the impact of this trend on corporate treasurers, noting that improved settlement efficiency will change balance sheet management, and recommends that CFOs evaluate relevant infrastructure before the next budget cycle.