American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (AST), announced that its affiliate, AST Fund Solutions, LLC (I first knew them as The Altman Group) has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase D.F. King & Co., Inc. and its operating businesses (D.F. King). When the transaction is finalized, the combined company will be the leading issuer […]
David Winters tells Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo he believes that Warren Buffett and the Board of Directors at Coca-Cola have failed their fiduciary duties to shareholders by allowing Coca-Cola’s equity compensation plan to pass. He calls him the “abstainer from Omaha.” Cries about “CokeGate.” (more…)
This is the last in a three part series. See also Fiduciary Duty to Announce Votes (Part 1): Editorial Calls For Advanced Disclosure and Fiduciary Duty to Announce Votes (Part 2): Historical Background. Take Action: Ask your mutual fund, pension fund, and/or endowment to: Send you a copy of their proxy voting policies and their proxy […]
Egan Jones Proxy Services announced today its acquisition of substantially all of the operating assets of ProxyTell, LLC. Egan-Jones Proxy Services, established in 2002 by Egan-Jones Ratings Co., is a leading independent provider of proxy research, voting recommendations and voting services to a variety of institutional investors. Specific financial terms of the acquisition were not […]
This is the second of a three part series. See also Fiduciary Duty to Announce Votes (Part 1): Editorial Calls For Advanced Disclosure and Fiduciary Duty to Announce Votes (Part 3): Take Action. A major landmark in establishing a fiduciary duty for proxy voting was the Department of Labor’s (DOL) 1988 Avon Letter, which was based on specific sections […]
Genomic Health (GHDX), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on June 6, 2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/27/2014. I voted with management 92% of the time. View Proxy Statement. (Note: GHDX proxy Table of Contents is only for stock incentive plan… not the […]
This is the first of a three part series. See also Fiduciary Duty to Announce Votes (Part 2): Historical Background and Fiduciary Duty to Announce Votes (Part 3): Take Action. A recent editorial in Pensions & Investments (P&I), Winning over proxy voters, essentially argues that pensions have a fiduciary duty to announce their proxy votes in advance of the annual […]
SolarCity (SCTY), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on June 4, 2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/26/2014. I voted with management 75% of the time but won’t next year if corporate governance reforms are not made. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows […]
GT Advanced Technologies $GTAT is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 6/5/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/26/2014. I voted with management 60% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my proxy voting recommendations for GTAT. (more…)
Tesla Motors (TSLA) is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 6/3/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/25/2014. I voted with management 17% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my proxy voting recommendations for TSLA. (more…)
Marrone Bio Innovations (MBII): is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/29/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked and voted on 5/23/2014. I voted with management 33% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my proxy voting recommendations for MBII. (more…)
BlackRock $BLK is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/29/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/21/2014. I voted with management 65% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my proxy voting recommendations for BLK. (more…)
Guest Post from Darius Peek, a junior at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, majoring in Finance who presented our proposal to allow shareowners to call special meetings. ITC Holdings (ITC), the nation’s largest independent electric transmission company, held its annual shareholders meeting yesterday at its headquarters in Novi, Michigan. ITC invests in the electric transmission […]
As reported by CSRwire, Under Fire from Critics, Chevron CEO Quietly Moves Annual Shareholder Meeting to Remote Town In Texas. We are still in the midst of our second Foxhole of the Year Award for the company that makes it the most difficult for shareowners turn up at their annual meeting. Last year’s winner was Peabody Energy for their choice of […]
Illumina $ILMN is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/28/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/20/2014. I voted with management 86% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my proxy voting recommendations for ILMN. (more…)
DigitalGlobe $DGI is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/28/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/19/2014. I voted with management 80% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my proxy voting recommendations for DGI. (more…)
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is conducting two elections this fall for the State and public agency representative seats on the CalPERS Board of Administration. Current terms for both positions end in January 2015. The election for the school board member representative seat will not be conducted because the incumbent, Rob Feckner, was unopposed. George […]
Facebook $FB, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/22/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked and voted on 5/19/2014. I voted with management 0% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. (more…)
Solazyme $SZYM, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/22/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/15/2014. I voted with management % of the time. View Proxy Statement. I sure would have liked a Table of Contents with links to facilitate my review. Read Warnings below. (more…)
The Home Depot (HD), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/22/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/15/2014. I voted with management 47% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. (more…)
NextEra Energy (NEE), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/22/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked and voted on 5/15/2014. I voted with management 79% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. (more…)
Amazon.com (AMZN), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/21/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of four funds when I checked and voted on 5/15/2014. I voted with management % of the time. View Proxy Statement. All that talent at AMZN and they didn’t even bother to provide a linked table of contents. […]
Ellie Mae (ELLI), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/21/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/15/2014. I voted with management 50% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. My proxy voting recommendations for ELLI follow. (more…)
ITC Holdings $ITC, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/21/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/15/2014. I voted with management 50% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. My proxy voting recommendations follow. (more…)
Just a brief post to thank shareowners at Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) for sending a strong message to the company’s board and management. 77% of shares were voted against the executive pay package and a majority supported our proposal to end supermajority voting requirements. CalSTRS, Florida SBA, AFSCME, Calvert, Domini, Trillium, CBIS, CtW and many […]
Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/20/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the vote of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/14/2014. I voted with management 54% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. (more…)
iRobot Corporation $IRBT, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/20/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/13/2014. I voted with management % of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below (more…)
American Tower Corp $AMT, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/20/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked and voted on 5/13/2014. I voted with management 55% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. (more…)
CalPERS filed a notice of exempt solicitation (PX14A6G) and urged shareholders to vote for a proposal asking the company to amend their bylaws to exclude broker non-votes when tabulating proxy votes at the 2014 AGM of Nabors Industries (NBR). I don’t personally own stock in NBR but the issue is an important one, so it […]
Proto Labs Inc (NYSE:PRLB), is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/16/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of one fund when I checked and voted on 5/13/2014. I voted with management 100% of the time. View Proxy Statement, which was not user friendly, since the Table of Contents contained no links. Read Warnings below. (more…)
3D Systems Corporation $DDD, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/19/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/13/2014. I voted with management 64% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. (more…)
FTSE Group (“FTSE”), the global index provider, announced the launch of the FTSE Developed ex Fossil Fuels Index Series, an innovative set of benchmark indices that excludes companies linked to exploration, ownership or extraction of (carbon reserves) fossil fuels. This ground-breaking launch is leading the way to implementation of a total exclusion model for fossil […]
After the death of straight shooter Joe Dear (Joseph A. Dear: June 7, 1951 to February 26, 2014), the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has launched a search. Big shoes to fill. They seek an experienced investment professional for the role of Chief Investment Officer (CIO) to lead and manage its 400-plus person Investment […]
Goldman Sachs Group $GS, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/16/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of two funds when I checked and voted on 5/11/2014. I voted with management 31% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. Compensation GS’s Summary Compensation Table shows CEO/Chair Lloyd C. Blankfein (more…)
Waste Connections, Inc. $WCN, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/16/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of no funds when I checked and voted on 5/12/2014. I voted with management 50% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. Compensation WCN’s Summary Compensation Table shows CEO/Chair Ronald J. Mittelstaedt (more…)