Tomorrow's Winners in Today's Stock Market

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Could you be an icon of the stock market tomorrow? Marketing, Finance and other Management disciplines have held sway over the worlds of industry and commerce for most of the 20th century. Environmental concerns have rarely bothered the corridors of top business houses, and key human resources have come from management schools, dressed in suits and jargon!

Take Rishi from India as an example. He represents a major shift of paradigm. A product of some of the best centers of higher education in the United States, this PhD scholar from Virginia represents a new breed of budding executives who combine management principles with environmental concerns. Listen here* to Rishi speak of Yale University's pioneering work with respect to environmental indices-and to how Finland ranks higher than the U.S. in this respect!

Pollution, safety and conservation have become pressing issues which cannot be denied. Leading companies have begun to invest in conservation resources, and there could be crippling costs for laggards. Reducing wastage and recycling are some productivity aspects of environmental conservation that can stand on their own economic feet, but there are business imperatives as well which transcend short-term profit considerations.

Most investors are still comparatively rare in top stock market member companies, but their era is on the horizon. Environmental auditing is not law as yet, but it is bound to become a statutory requirement over the course of time. We cannot remain behind Finland for long! Profits, growth rates and valuations will always matter in stock market terms, but the ongoing concern with greenhouse gases and emissions will extend to other areas rapidly. Companies may show impressive financial statements in 2006, but be left stranded in the near future if they do not take stock of their imprints.

Listen to Environmental Economists for they are likely to spot tomorrow's stock market winners better than financial analysts who cannot see beyond historical numbers. Read company statements for progress achieved in terms of reducing waste, emissions and pollutions, and be wary of those management teams which tend to gloss over such crucial issues. Now how is that for spotting future stock market champions?

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