Author:Paul Schneider
The S&P 500 Index Committee Does Not Extend an Invitation to Tesla
Tesla satisfied the final requirement to join the S&P 500 when it announced its fourth consecutive quarter of profitability on July 22, 2020. As a result, investors speculated that the electric car maker would be added to the index in short order. However, on September 4, 2020, the U.S. Index Committee, the group responsible for managing the index, announced the addition of three new companies without mentioning Tesla. The news led to a 21% decline in Tesla’s stock price, the largest drop in the company’s history.
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Force Chinese Companies to Play by the Rules
On Wednesday May 20, the Senate unanimously passed legislation aimed to curb the ability of Chinese companies to avoid audit requirements. The bill was introduced by Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Senator Kennedy provided the following comment in a press release announcing the legislation: “It’s asinine that we’re giving Chinese companies the opportunity to exploit hardworking Americans—people who put their retirement and college savings in our exchanges—because we don’t insist on examining their books. I hope my colleagues in the House will immediately send this bill to the President’s desk so we can protect Americans and their savings.”