The Dull World of Shareholder Meetings Has a Virtual Future (1)

The age of the virtual AGM is upon us.

Amid lockdowns, travel bans and restrictions on indoor gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus, companies are shifting their annual general meetings online.

Starbucks Corp. last week converted its annual gathering into a virtual meeting, and Warren Buffett has told shareholders they won’t be able to physically attend Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s event in May, with proceedings to be live-streamed. Regulators in the U.S. and Australia have both signaled support for virtual AGMs amid the widening virus curbs.

The move is opening up the annual events, which are often poorly ...