Sock puppets are trying to generate another round of astro-turf comment letters to the SEC. Proxy advisors do NOT file shareholder proposals. Your money is NOT being stolen to pay for abortions. Shareholder proposals are nonbinding and do NOT give money to anyone. This YouTube video is full of lies made up by fake organizations […]
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that Elon Musk, CEO and Chairman of Silicon Valley-based Tesla, Inc., has agreed to settle the securities fraud charge brought by the SEC against him last week. Musk has done with his tweets what shareholders have been unable to do. This year a proposal to require an independent […]
American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) is a global payments and travel company. The company, through its subsidiaries, offers products and services including charge and credit payment card products and travel-related services to consumers and businesses around the world. It is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 5/11/2015. ProxyDemocracy.org had the votes of […]
On February 27, 2015 Vanguard sent out an important letter to many boards of directors of publicly traded companies. The letter, signed by Vanguard’s Chairman and CEO, exhorts directors to follow best practices to ensure that corporate resources are stewarded effectively. But what happens to those boards of directors who are stubbornly entrenched? (more…)
Starbucks Corporation $SBUX, which operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee worldwide, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 3/18/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had the votes of four funds (now more) when I checked and voted on 3/8/2015. I voted with management 81% of the time and assigned Starbucks a […]
The Walt Disney Company $DIS will hold their annual meeting tomorrow (3/12/2014). Today is the last day to vote unless you attend the meeting. My voting recommendations are at The Walt Disney Company (DIS): Proxy Score 79. Since that post a few additional funds have voted and there has been further debate: (more…)
DaVita HealthCare Partners $DVA, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is June 17, 2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of three funds when I checked and voted on 6/10/2014. I voted with management 50% of the time. View Proxy Statement. Read Warnings below. What follows are my recommendations on how to vote the DVA proxy in order […]
The Coca-Cola Company $KO, is one of the stocks in my portfolio. Their annual meeting is coming up on 4/23/2014. ProxyDemocracy.org had collected the votes of four funds when I checked and voted on 4/15/2014. I voted with management 63% of the time. View Proxy Statement, which by the way is very nice and user friendly. See 18 Cool Things about the proxy. Warning: […]
Obama chose SEC official Elisse Walter to lead agency after Mary Schapiro announced she is stepping down. Walter is a Democrat on the SEC’s five-member panel. Her term expired June 5, 2012, but a commissioner can stay on for an additional 18 months if not reconfirmed or replaced before then–in her case December 2013. Obama expressed his “deep gratitude” to Schapiro […]
It’s common knowledge that separating the roles of CEO and Board Chairman (see Chairmen’s Forum) is considered by most the epitome of best practice, but is far from universal. In the wake of Sarbanes Oxley, many companies designated a genuinely independent director as a “lead director” to run meetings of non-management directors and represent independent […]
The current edition features a cover article, The Great Divide: Separating the Chairman and CEO Roles. Thought leaders tackle the issues involved in splitting the two top leadership positions of the corporation. On one side of the debate: “The development is inexorable,” says Ira Millstein. “Beware the simplicity of saying two heads are better than […]
In July 2009, the SEC proposed new proxy disclosure rules that will require public companies with a combined CEO/Chairman to disclose why the company believes such a leadership structure is appropriate and what specific role the Lead Director plays in the leadership of the company. via How to Be a Good Lead Director – Boardmember.com. Unreported […]
One book on corporate governance made Ralph Nader’s list of Nine Books That Make a Difference: A Reading List for the Holidays. Here’s his brief review: Corpocracy by Robert A.G. Monks (Wiley Publishers) summarizes its main theme on the book’s cover-“How CEOs and the Business Roundtable Hijacked the World’s Greatest Wealth Machine-and How to Get […]