Disruption Has Cut Company Life-Span By 66%

Disruption is nothing new, with nearly 80% of industries that existed in the U.S. in 1900 no longer existing or being quite small today. However, the pace of disruptive forces may be accelerating, as the average age of a company listed on the S&P 500 has dropped substantially from almost 60 years old in the 1950s to now less than 20 years, according to Credit Suisse. In their August 24 research note titled “Disruptive forces in Europe: A Primer,” Eugene Klerk and team highlight what they perceive as the key disruptive forces in various industries and identify companies or sub-sectors…