Shareholders have a few ways to express their thoughts or ask their questions to company boards. The most obvious expression is with their money, selling shares when they don't like the direction a company is taking, buying when they do. They can vote in annual meetings - and it is important that they have that right. Most directly shareholders can ask questions of the board in quarterly and special conference calls (or call or write letters any time, really, but you may not get answered).
Quarterly conference calls are often full of analysts asking questions to build their reports for clients (owners and potential owners). Companies solicit questions beforehand, screen callers or whatever they like to manage the questions and make sure the board makes it home for dinner. It is important that shareholders and thoughtful analysts can make themselves heard to the board - it helps remind the board that they are merely stewards of the company accountable the owners.
FedEx took a big step yesterday in their conference call and widened their audience to include StockTwits, a popular twitter aggregating social network for traders, investors and other market participants or observers. Attention to the crowd is incredibly important, and it is good to see a company taking the initiative to expand the field of people they are listening to.
It is important that investors pay attention to their companies - and it is important that the companies pay attention to their investors. Kudos to FedEx for this move.
Independent, Fee-Only Financial Advisor
