Business

Share repurchases returned more cash to U.S. investors than dividends. The mechanics are simple, the incentives are not, and the criticism is partly right.

Layoffs are announced as cost discipline. The research on what they actually do to productivity, hiring costs and share prices is far less flattering.

Pricing is the fastest lever a company has on profit, and the least understood by investors. Here is how the decision actually gets made.

The annual report most investors skip contains the risks, obligations and accounting choices that press releases are built to soften.