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Investment Q&A

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Q: Considering the (excessive?) rise of stock based compensation and the evaluation of how management treats their shareholders vs how they treat themselves, who would you recommend as a management team that consistently behaves and demonstrates respect for their shareholders, please, thanks.
Asked by MG on June 26, 2024
5i Research Answer:

There are a few management teams in the public market that consistently demonstrate candid policies and fairness to shareholders in terms of stock-based compensation (SBC) such as CSU and BRK.B. Both companies do not issue stock options, and all insider ownership was purchased in the public market without any special treatment similar to all retail shareholders. Also, in CSU's case, the majority of the bonus is required to purchase shares in the public market with a minimum holding period of a few years. This is the gold standard in terms of fair compensation.

On the other hand, SBC can also be used fairly, companies such as AAPL, and MSFT do not issue excessive SBC relative to earnings. Also, the operating metrics are designed with a focus on long-term value creation, and the CEO’s compensation is fair compared to the company’s market cap.

Authors of this answer, directors, partners and/or officers of 5i Research and/or affiliated companies have a financial or other interest in AAPL, MSFT.