Activist investors have a large war chest that could see them going on a spending spree, as certain stocks remain highly deflated. How boards manage the Covid-19 response could determine whether they set their sights on the company.

As companies try to circumvent the pandemic, many have closed ranks around their CEO, whether they want to or not.

BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, threw its weight around recently. Chairman and CEO Larry Fink wrote a letter to CEOs in January explaining BlackRock’s further divestment from the fossil fuel industry. He said BlackRock would hold companies and directors accountable when they don’t address sustainability and climate change.

JPMorgan & Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has called investors who use proxy advisors “lazy” for blindly following advice on matters like executive compensation or mergers. Now, he and other corporate executives may be getting some relief.

CEOs are taking a stand during divisive moments, complaining about the U.S. president and his policies, running ads on controversial topics and letting their political views be known. But is this a good thing? Some companies are saying “yes.” But a few governance and public relations experts are say “no,” or at least, “very rarely.”

The United States may no longer be the country for entrepreneurs to try out new technology and break things, says Ed Knight, executive vice president and global chief legal and policy officer at Nasdaq. He and Melissa Sawyer, partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, discuss some of the emerging issues in regulation and how regulators are changing their focus.

Amazon.com has set its sight on industries outside the disrupted retail space. Why not healthcare? That alarming angle was stoked in 2018 when Amazon teamed up with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Berkshire Hathaway to cut health care costs.

In the past few years activists have broadened their horizons, targeting even small and mid cap companies. Institutional investors are supporting activists more and more, and if you didn’t already have enough keeping you up at night, there are two new trends in this ever evolving landscape that put your company at risk.

Although it’s rare, boards and corporate leaders should prepare for potential challenges from hedge fund activists targeting environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Here’s how.

Last year was a good year to be an activist; not so much to be a company on the receiving end of a campaign. The wave of shareholder activism last year had corporate leaders on edge.