Everyone knows the focus on short-term profits, or short-termism, isn’t healthy. It’s certainly not good for investors, or the wider economy. Yet, all around the world, the trend towards what Hilary Clinton has termed “quarterly capitalism” continues to accelerate.
The common wisdom is that short-termism stems from the way company directors are incentivised financially. Those incentives in turn reflect the pressures shareholders put on them to deliver quick returns.
But in fact the problem is much bigger than that. The whole investment industry, from fund managers to consultants, brokers and advisers, contribute to it. Financial PR and journalism must also share the blame.
This New York Times infographic brilliantly illustrates all the different players that discourage firms from taking a long-term view. If you have time, I can also recommend the article by Andrew Ross Sorkin that accompanies the graphic.
Infographic: New York Times
ROBIN POWELL is a freelance journalist and the founding editor of The Evidence-Based Investor. Based in Birmingham, England, he founded Ember Television and Regis Media, and he specialties in helping disruptive financial firms to grow. He also campaigns for a fair, transparent and sustainable investing industry. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobinJPowell.
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Robin is a journalist and campaigner for positive change in global investing. He runs Regis Media, a niche provider of content marketing for financial advice firms with an evidence-based investment philosophy. He also works as a consultant to other disruptive firms in the investing sector.
