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Could KPMG’s Improved Revenue Mean More Omaha Steaks for Employees?

Yes, that’s a question for the group. But first, we should mention that despite the glaring lack of exclamation points, you can’t help but think that T Fly is running around 345 Park (or wherever he puts his feet up these days – is he in A/dam?) high-fiving everyone that crosses his path about the slight uptick in this year’s results:

AMSTERDAM, Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — KPMG, the global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services, today announced member firm combined revenues totaling US$20.63 billion for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, versus US$20.11 billion for the prior fiscal year, representing a 2.6 percent increase in U.S. dollars; a 0.1 percent increase in local currency terms.

“These combined FY10 revenues overall reflect positive and improving business performance across the KPMG network of firms and functional businesses worldwide,” said Timothy P. Flynn, Chairman of KPMG International.

“This improvement underscores the strength of our brand and that, in a significantly changing economic and regulatory environment, clients and stakeholders value how the high-performing people of KPMG are cutting through complexity, delivering informed perspectives and clear solutions to them,” he said.

And if it wasn’t for Google – GOOGLE! – the House of Klynveld would be the idealist employer on the globe!

Flynn added, “KPMG was pleased to be honored by Universum, the global talent consultant, this year for its ability to attract the very best people. Universum announced that students worldwide ranked the KPMG network globally second, behind only Google, as an ‘ideal’ employer. This is strong affirmation of our priority to making KPMG a magnet for talent and a place where people can maximize their potential.

“The caliber of talent is a true differentiator among professional services firms in the global marketplace, and KPMG member firms worldwide will continue to invest in their people in the year ahead, attracting the best and most diverse talent. Our growth plans call for us to recruit approximately 250,000 people over the next five years,” Flynn said.

Whether “recruit approximately 250,000 people over the next five years” actually translates to putting asses in the cubicles, will remain another matter since every firm on Earth claims to ratcheting the hiring up a notch. Anyway, feel free to discuss whatever you like related to the Radio Station revenue results, including the likelihood of more bovine flesh in your future.

Mike Mayo Is of the Opinion That Citigroup ‘May Have Violated Sarbanes-Oxley’

Last week we heard from a number of people on the topic of Citigroup’s internal controls that while it didn’t sound like they were quite up to snuff, KPMG was somehow cool with it and Vikram Pandit signed his name to it, saying that everything was hunky dory.

Now along with bloggers and journalists, the scourge of Citigroup, CLSA analyst Mike Mayo, has decided to get into the act:

Citigroup may have violated Sarbanes-Oxley with its 2007 10-K submission, in our opinion. The new information relates to letters from regulators that were only revealed earlier this year as part of the FCIC archive. We believe these letters between Citi and the Fed, Citi and the OCC, and the OCC with internal staff, imply that Citi should have known about internal control shortfalls for the year 2007 and was directly told about them by the OCC only eight days before the 10-K was signed. Also, Citi reported large unexpected losses with less than two months left in the year. Thus, the lingering question in our mind is why Citi signed off on its 2007 10-K as having effective controls in light of such problems. This information is still relevant today because it reflects on the magnitude of the risk shortfalls and what we feel is the higher-than-perceived task of turning them around.

That’s from Mayo’s update on the bank, dated today, and along with the “opinion” on a Sarbanes-Oxley violation, he has a few questions:

To what extent was the audit committee and board at Citi aware of the concerns voiced by various regulators at the time, and who gave the advice to sign the 10-K? To what extent has Citi’s board examined the issue since the release of letters from the FCIC? Has the SEC and DOJ looked into this matter?

We bolded that portion since it might – just might – be referring to KPMG and the apparent disregard everyone had for the letter sent to Citigroup from the OCC. Of course, not everyone always agrees with Mayo, namely Dick Bové who has gave HofK the thumbs up although it was obvious that he’d never heard of the firm. Bové hasn’t weighed in on this particular report but it’s only Monday.

Anyway, Citigroup remains steadfast in their thoughts on the matter, telling The Street’s Lauren Tara LaCapra that the “certifications were entirely appropriate,” although things increasingly seem to be pointing to the possibility that wasn’t the case. A message left for Marianne Carlton, a KPMG spokeswoman, hasn’t been returned.