Security News > 2008 > December > Credit crunch tops compliance as No.1 corporate risk, say analysts

http://www.financialweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081222/REG/812229983/1036 By John Goff Financial Week December 22, 2008 Oh for the good old days, when analysts would carp about how Sarbanes-Oxley, Regulation FD, and other regulatory burdens were stiffling corporate innovation. These days, the credit crisis has made onetime concerns about Section 404 seem almost quaint by comparison. Indeed, a new survey of Ernst & Young analysts, who cover 11 core sectors, found that the credit crisis is now their top concern for the coming year. Regulation and compliance, the leading concern of these analysts last year, dropped to second place on the list. Other risks arising from the credit crisis jumped into the top ten, as well. The economy was barely mentioned in the 2008 E&Y risk survey. This year, the souring economy came in at No. 3. In addition, business model obsolescence—no doubt linked to current market changes and volatility—placed ninth on the list. It didn’t show up on the list in 2007. At the same time, it appears that the E&Y analysts expect big battles to break out in the sectors they cover. This may not be overly surprising. With non-traditional competitors eyeing new sources of revenues, and with regulatory and technology changes, businesses are seeing new entrants—sometimes from different countries—invade their territory. Concerns among analysts about ‘non-traditional entrants’ shot up from No. 16 on the list in 2007 to No. 5 this year. [...]

News URL

http://www.financialweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081222/REG/812229983/1036