Shareholder Focus On Socially Responsible Investing Could Push SEC Action

The Wall Street Journal's Emily Chasan reports that a "surge" in investors focusing on socially responsible investing and issues like human rights, protecting forests and disclosing political spending could push the Securities and Exchange Commission to change how it handles investor proposals: "Companies can try to exclude such proposals from their proxy ballots by asking SEC staff for permission, but Commissioner Daniel Gallagher said Thursday that the agency should reconsider procedures for granting exemptions." Chasan cites a study that found that 48 percent of shareholder proposals made this year focused on policy issues.