Rise of the machines! Attack of the clones! This is a common outcry from the financial industry and investors alike in reaction to the rapid rise of ‘passive’ index funds and exchange-traded funds, which now have about $5 trillion in assets in the United States. Investors have an understandable tendency to see passive investing as a bunch of robotic ...

  This must be “copy your competitor” week for corporations. McDonald’s Corp., at its annual investor day, unveiled plans to roll out mobile ordering and delivery to all its US locations. In a bid to win over lapsed customers, it’s embracing the same digital tools Starbucks Corp. and Domino’s Pizza Inc. have used to grow sales. Recently I warned Target ...

  On March 29, Samsung Electronics Co. will unveil its new Galaxy S8 phone. When you release a new product, you want to show off its cool new features. But Samsung’s launch stands to be overshadowed by not one but two reputational fires the company is fighting simultaneously. And “fire” isn’t just a metaphor: One of the company’s problems is ...