A lot of petitions to the government are met with…radio silence. And that’s the gentle way of putting it.

But that wasn’t the case for a September 2025 petition filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Long-Term Stock Exchange, requesting an amendment to quarterly reporting requirements. Maybe you’ve heard: The SEC is reportedly considering it.

Right place, right time? There’s a bit of that, but to hear Bill Harts, the Long-Term Stock Exchange’s CEO, tell it, as he did at the Wall Street Journal’s March 23–24 CFO Council Summit in Palo Alto, California, it was also a matter of listening to the right voices.

Tech entrepreneur Eric Ries founded The Long-Term Stock Exchange, or LTSE, in 2016 with the goal of reversing “the epidemic of short-term thinking” at many corporations, Ries told CNBC in 2023. “The incentives that we’ve created around finance, around the capital market, really make it difficult for companies to do the right thing.”

Keep reading.—NP

Let’s check in on our middle market pals.

We recently got a glimpse of how middle market leaders navigate continuous uncertainty, thanks to a study of 400 US middle market CEOs, CFOs, and COOs from CBIZ, a professional services advisory firm, in partnership with Ohio State University and the National Center for the Middle Market.

There’s good reason to pay attention to the middle market. Since the National Center for the Middle Market launched its Middle Market Indicator, a semiannual business performance update, in 2012, the report’s authors noted that “the middle market has consistently outpaced both smaller and larger companies on critical performance metrics, including year-over-year revenue and employment growth.”

But “the specifics of how middle market companies achieve performance wins vary widely,” and the authors said that how middle market C-suite leaders “make tradeoff decisions under pressure” is a fundamental driver.

Keep reading.—NP

Gas prices are on the rise due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, making commutes costlier for employees.

Since the war began in February, the average daily commuting cost for US employees has risen by 9%, from $15.48 to $16.93, according to an analysis from consulting firm Gartner. If gas prices go up even higher, the average employee could see commuting costs rise to nearly $19 a day, per Gartner’s calculations.

Such trends are likely to add to workers’ already existing financial stress. Nearly 77% of full-time workers reported worrying about the economy when Bank of America surveyed them in May of last year, and a growing share (26%) were seeking financial help from their employer through support such as emergency savings or debt paydown.

To support workers who are experiencing higher commuting costs, employers can consider offering gas subsidies or allowing additional flexibility on working locations, at least temporarily, Benjamin Ashley, a senior research specialist with Gartner, said.

Keep reading on HR Brew.—CV

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