The Great Reset

The Expert View ·
Featuring Stephen Clapham

Published on: May 28th, 2020 • Duration: 47 minutes

Stephen Clapham, founder of Behind the Balance Sheet, analyzes the unique challenges that companies worldwide are facing during the ongoing pandemic. Using forensic accounting, Clapham surveys the financial landscape to identify risks and opportunities. He argues that the crisis will force companies to prioritize shoring up their balance sheet, and that as a result, stock buybacks will be diminished and return on equity across various sectors will suffer. Clapham reviews how companies have been juicing their earnings with "adjusted" figures, and he argues that this pandemic is a catalyst for a "great reset" in which executives use the ongoing crisis as an excuse to accurately tally their companies' earnings. Across a longer time horizon, Clapham expects inflationary pressures to mount as central banks continue to monetize debt and as major players in consolidated industries – such as hospitality, retail, and airlines – gain pricing power. Find out more about Stephen Clapham's work at https://www.behindthebalancesheet.com/. Filmed on May 27, 2020.