Company: AES Corp

AES Corp. posted a 52 percent jump in first-quarter net income Friday thanks to new businesses in the U.S. and overseas, as well as higher volumes at its Latin American utilities.

The chief financial officer at AES Corp. will step down next month, the power company said Monday.

Corporations hold large amounts of cash for a variety of reasons, including speculation on the price of assets, corporate acquisitions, future investments or even as a precaution against market uncertainty.