So, over the last few years.... Fines due to issues in South Africa... fines due to Export Control issues with Iran... and now the latest. Yet, the stock keeps going up and up and up... making you wonder if the shareholders really do care or not?
If you look at the price during any 1 day or week when bad news hits, you will think the sky is falling... and you will be the clueless one. At the end of the day, all the shareholders care about is if the company is shedding "dead weight" (the shareholders are the true dead weight) with layoffs and early retirement programs.
But, you know what? You market geniuses are right. So, the price keeps going up regardless of all of the fines, all of the issues with the Board. Who cares, right? This latest end of the world crisis is really truly going to be the nail in SAP's coffin.
I no longer work for the company... fell victim to the restructuring early this year, although managed to walk away with an ok package. I no longer have a horse in this race. But what I do have is a strong level of cynicism when it comes to the scruples of people who play the stock market. Fundamentally, shareholders are a--holes deep down. They'd lay off their own mother and replace her with 5 "new-hire-Moms" in Manila, if it meant that they were slashing payroll in "expensive regions" (code for "North America"... never for "Germany", which we all know is a moneypit.)
Anyway... like I said, you market geniuses are right. After all, the stock price just keeps getting hammered day in, day out...