November 17, 2016
Proxy Advisors: A New GAO Study
– Broc Romanek
Nearly a decade after its last study on proxy advisors, the GAO issued this 49-page report on the state of the proxy advisor industry. Taking a quick swing through it, I didn’t see anything all that surprising. Several factors have led to increased demand for proxy advisor guidance (eg. rise of institutional investing & voting requirements) – but views are mixed on the extent of their influence. Proxy advisors have increased the level of shareholder engagement. And more.
It’s a nice summary of the state of the industry as we know it. Nice graphic on page 22 to illustrate how ISS & Glass Lewis communicate their policy-formulating process. All that might change soon enough with Section 1082 of the “Financial Choice Act” or whatever reform legislation gets enacted with a new Administration coming in soon…
The “GAO” is the “Government Accountability Office,” the investigative arm of Congress charged with examining matters relating to the receipt & payment of public funds…and of course, if you really want to know about the proxy advisors, read my “Proxy Advisors Handbook“…