Finance Lessons from Abbottabad?

04.05.2011
Corporate finance lessons from the dramatic turn of events in Abbottabad, Pakistan, may be few and far-between this week. But among the reports from the tech-based IDG network of publications, as well as from Bloomberg News, are numerous articles that should have more than passing interest for CFOs.

Hitting hardest, perhaps, are reports about what impact the killing of Osama bin Laden will have on global travel and business, and how the already-tumultuous Middle East political picture could affect fuel supplies and prices -- registering on CFO surveys. say they don't see strong disruption in global travel ahead.

Not far behind are concerns about . Who can forget the precautions forced on companies -- and their cost -- in the fallout from the 9/11 terrorist attacks a decade ago? Disruptions abroad, and possibility at home, are a prime consideration for finance, of course. And on what steps need to be taken in that light.

And what about Wall Street? Well, the stock market surged at its opening yesterday, based on the late-night Sunday news. But then it quickly fell back, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.2%, to 1,361.22 after its early advance.

"The killing of Osama bin Laden is not a material event for the stock market," Andrew Ross, partner and global equity trader at First New York Securities LLC, told Bloomberg News. "It's a great day for the country, but the market impact should prove to be limited," he added, noting that concern may shift to "some sort of violent response by al-Qaeda."