Key insights
- The post discusses governance red flags when investing, highlighting concerns about stock-based compensation incentivizing short-term gains at the expense of ethical practices. Red flags include auditor resignations, insider selling, and opaque disclosures. Poor corporate governance can negatively impact investor confidence and lead to decreased stock valuations.
I’ve been thinking about corporate governance risk after recent events with SMCI.
Company leadership and employees are often heavily incentivized with stock options, RSUs, etc. That could push them to chase revenues, margins, and short‑term metrics which can lead to shortcuts or even breaking rules.
For someone doing due diligence, what are the practical red flags to watch out for? Auditor resignations (as happened with SMCI before)? Insider selling (as a true indicator of underlying issues - how can one tell)? Opaque disclosures in filings or on calls?
I’d love to hear how others here evaluate governance risk before buying a stock, and what signals you use to avoid firms with poor oversight.