Wall Street’s Fixation on Quick Profits Wreaking Havoc in the ‘Real’ Economy, Report Says

Vast sums of money sloshing around the financial sector are enriching shareholders but producing little real-world value, according to a new analysis of business investment from American Compass, a conservative think tank.

The analysis by Oren Cass, a former senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a former adviser to Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, finds that much of the money that businesses once funneled into productivity-increasing assets — structures, equipment and intellectual property — is now being diverted to shareholders instead.