Fortune Most Admired Firms, IBM Income Progress: CEO Day by day for January 19, 2018

Good morning.

Nice reputations are onerous to construct, but it surely seems they’re additionally onerous to lose. That is why Fortune‘s World’s Most Admired listing, which ranks firms based mostly on their popularity amongst different enterprise leaders, reveals such stability from 12 months to 12 months. High of the listing this 12 months, for the 11th 12 months in a row, is Apple. No. 2, for the second 12 months operating, is Amazon. Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, and Starbucks fill out the highest 5.

However whereas reputations are onerous to lose, it’s not unimaginable. GE dove out of the highest ten this 12 months, plummeting from No. 7 to No. 30. On the upside, each Adidas and Lockheed Martin broke into the highest 50 for the primary time.

Amongst firm leaders, Mark Zuckerberg acquired most mentions as “probably the most overrated CEO,” whereas Satya Nadella was voted “most underrated.” (Jamie Dimon and Elon Musk made high 5 on each lists!)

And because it’s Friday, some suggestions:

C.E. was eager sufficient to recall that in August, after Trump’s enterprise advisory councils exploded, I wrote that the occasions “significantly decreased any likelihood that the president and Congress have of enacting critical legislative reforms.” Flawed about that.

And J.C. busted my chops for mentioning yesterday that it is onerous to understand how a lot of Apple’s promised spending within the U.S. “would have occurred even with out the tax lower.” Says he: “You give no credit score to the president.”

So let me be clear: the tax invoice would not have occurred with out Trump, and all proof suggests it’s boosting U.S. funding and development. Solely query is whether or not it was price the fee, which will probably be determined by future generations, who acquired caught with the invoice.

Information under, together with IBM’s first income development in 23 quarters.

	Alan Murray
	@alansmurray
	alan.murray@fortune.com

High Information

At Lengthy Final

IBM ended its five-year streak of declining quarterly income on Thursday, reporting $22.5 billion in fourth-quarter gross sales, up four% from the identical quarter final 12 months. However Wall Avenue hardly cheered. IBM’s shares dropped three.four% in after-hours buying and selling. Fortune

Amazon’s High 20

Amazon on Thursday whittled its listing of potential websites for its much-hyped second headquarters from 238 bids throughout North America to simply 20. The finalists embrace 19 metropolitan areas in america and one in Canada. Fortune

Countdown to a Shutdown

The U.S. authorities is careening towards one other doable shutdown. (Cue The Washington Submit countdown clock.) Home Republicans on Thursday handed a stopgap spending invoice to maintain the federal government open for 4 extra week, however Senate Democrats are poised to dam the measure attributable to lack of progress on an immigration deal. This is a reminder of what occurs if the federal authorities does certainly shut up store. Washington Submit

Including a Buddy

Fb on Thursday named its first African American board member because it tapped former American Categorical CEO Kenneth Chenault. His appointment makes good on COO Sheryl Sandberg’s assertion to the Congressional Black Caucus in October that the social community was trying so as to add a black board member. The group had criticized Fb–along with different tech giants–for failing to repair the dearth of variety in Silicon Valley, particularly in high-paying roles and government management positions. Fortune

Across the Water Cooler

What Went Flawed at Uber?

The newest Bloomberg Businessweek cowl story dives into “the autumn and fall and fall” of ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. It “was rather a lot weirder and darker than you thought.” Bloomberg

A Pregnant Prime Minister

“We thought 2017 was an enormous 12 months!” With that, New Zealand’s newly-elected Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern introduced that she’s anticipating a child in June. The 37-year-old would be the first prime minister since Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990 to provide delivery whereas in workplace, and he or she’s already fielding questions on “balancing” her work with motherhood. “It is what women do,” Ardern advised a reporter at this time. Fortune

A New Form of Drug Firm

A coalition of main U.S. hospitals is taking the matter of excessive drug costs into its personal palms with a singular challenge: Making a nonprofit generic drug firm run by well being techniques. Intermountain Healthcare is spearheading the initiative that’s being performed in session with the Division of Veterans Affairs and has already garnered assist from among the nation’s largest hospital chains. Fortune

Without end Younger

Necessary retirement might appear to be a factor of the previous, however top-tier accounting companies nonetheless abide by the apply, with many requiring companions to exit at ages 60 to 66. One agency, PKF O’Connor Davies, is bucking that development, intentionally hiring companions who’ve aged out elsewhere. The agency says older workers nonetheless have super worth. On the similar time, analysis reveals 60% of retirees would return to work if a job was versatile. Wall Avenue Journal

 

This version of CEO Day by day was edited by Claire Zillman. Discover earlier editions right here, and join different Fortune newsletters right here.