Do corporate CEOs get paid too much? Rightly or wrongly, lots of investors believe that to be the case, and some activist shareholders have been trying to rein in the growth of executive compensation.

The activist investors’ latest tactic is to put forward a shareholder proposal that, if adopted, would require the company to obtain an advisory shareholder vote on executive pay. Such proposals are pending at more than 60 companies, including Citigroup, Northrop Grumman and Wells Fargo & Co. With AFLAC having recently announced that it will voluntarily allow such an advisory vote, the pressure on other companies from activist investors will doubtless grow.

Recommended Stories

The Disclosure Police Target Walmart

SEC needs to rethink its rules on proxy advisory firms

Managers of large public retirement funds need to grow a backbone