article thumbnail

What U.S. CEOs Should Do with the Money from Corporate Tax Cuts

Harvard Business Review

A few have announced year-end bonuses ( AT&T, Comcast ) or wage increases ( some retailers ). The cost of capital is at historic lows, averaging below 6% for most large U.S. Indeed, for most companies, the value of accelerating growth greatly exceeds the value of returning capital to shareholders.

article thumbnail

How Banks Can Compete Against an Army of Fintech Startups

Harvard Business Review

It’s been more than 25 years since Bill Gates dismissed retail banks as “dinosaurs,” but the statement may be as true today as it was then. Other sectors of retail lending have not fared much better. Banks’ cost of capital is typically 50 basis points or less.

Banking 11
article thumbnail

The Case for Investing More in People

Harvard Business Review

.” There is a virtuous cycle between productivity and people: Higher levels of productivity allow society to reinvest in human capital (most obviously, though not exclusively, via higher wages), and smart investments result in higher labor productivity. Productivity in most developed economies has been anemic.