"the company is taking it in every orifice? Blame the ground staff, lay off 10%, borrow against inventory to pay out dividends to shareholders and hope that kicks the stock upwards" Your observation would make an excellent replacement for the current multi-page jargon laden synopsis of the MBA program at the institution that employed me as a contract lecturer for almost two decades. The only drawbacks would be - your summation is concise, accurate, and honest. None of which have ever been part of that program.