Lessons from Quality Shareholders on Corporate Governance Practice, Research and Scholarship

Abstract

Special Note: This Publication is part of The Quality Shareholder Initiative at the Center for Law, Economics and Finance (C-LEAF), at The George Washington University Law School, Prof. Lawrence A. Cunningham, Faculty Director.

This Article presents original data and analysis addressing an understudied force in corporate America: the most patient and focused shareholders. Great attention has been devoted to short-term trading on the one hand and diversified index funds on the other, but scant attention has been focused on long-term concentrated investors. The George Washington University has been redressing this problem through a research initiative focused on such buy-and-hold stock pickers, whom Warren Buffett long ago dubbed 'quality shareholders'. GW’s Quality Shareholders Initiative ('QSI') is pleased to present highlights of the initial installment of this work in this Article in the Business and Finance Law Review at the George Washington University’s Center for Law, Economics, and Finance.

Keywords: shareholders, quality shareholders, the best shareholders, annual meetings, shareholder letters, stewardship, engagement

JEL Classification: K22, G11, G23, G34, K22