Whenever I think back on the Dot-Com Era, I have to chuckle.
In the late 1990s, investors took leave of their senses in an increasingly speculative stock market. Talk about FOMO. The reality is simple: The value of a company is its ability to generate cash over time.
Investors value cash streams based on growth rates and risk. Given comparable risks, they’d prefer to own a company whose earnings grow 25% annually to one growing 10%. Managers are charged with maximizing shareholder value. To do that, they must continually evaluate profitability and remember four words: Show Me the Money.