9.18.2013

The Dangers Of Short-Term Behavior

"Part of this story is the story of a moral problem, and the moral problem grows out of the change in the structure of Wall Street. When there were partnerships and people’s money was on the line...they were encouraged to behave in ways that were to the long-term benefit of the organizations they belonged to. Long-term behavior is just much different from short-term behavior—it encourages a different morality. And for several decades on Wall Street, the short-term sensibility has been encouraged and compensated very highly. So what you’ve got is a culture that is all about that. Whether they say it or not, that’s sort of the water in which the fish swim. I think as a result you have, basically, total neglect of social responsibility." - in Business Week

Related stocks: Goldman Sachs (GS), J.P. Morgan (JPM), Morgan Stanley (MS), Blackrock (BLK), Bank Of America (BAC), Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (USA)(NYSE:OPY), Piper Jaffray Companies(NYSE:PJC), Cowen Group, Inc.(NASDAQ:COWN)

Michael Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His bestselling books include The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Panic, Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood and Boomerang.