Corporate profitability is sticky. Wonderful companies tend to remain wonderful, and poor companies tend to remain stuck in the mud. Our empirical evidence suggests that sustainable corporate turnarounds are difficult to execute. … Companies in defensive industries exhibit more stickiness in corporate profitability than firms in cyclical industries. However the persistence in performance remains highly significant and thus the reputation of the business tends to remain intact regardless of industry. … Firms with excellent profitability tend to outperform those with the worst return on capital.
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