My remarks are divided into two sections. The first section briefly summarizes the major points of the two papers. I should acknowledge that I agree with almost all of the conclusions by Farrar and Mendelson regarding the reforms which have taken place and the beneficial effects of these reforms. The second section briefly discusses one adverse effect of the institutional market not remedied by the reforms. This adverse consequence is only briefly mentioned by Farrar, while it is discussed by Mendelson, but the full implications are not considered.

Industry analysis has long been a cornerstone in both the academic and professional segments of the investment community. Concepts such as “an industry providing downside protection” or “another is certain to outperform the market” have been prevalent throughout the profession. The importance of industry analysis in terms of stock price changes has been suggested by King, while the influence of the industry factor on corporate earnings changes has been documented by Brown and Ball. These studies and others have indicated that industry analysis has been an important part of security valuation.