Watch out executives: Investors are paying attention

When times seemed good and the stock market was returning 10 percent annually, a silent handshake existed between investors and management teams -- as long as the company's stock price was rising, princely sums in executive compensation would be awarded without too much fuss. The perks and pet projects that came with running a multi-billion dollar international firm were likewise seen as simple costs of doing business. But C-suite executives be warned: Your investors are watching your actions in numbers greater than ever before.

"I think there's a lot of anger out there on the part of smaller investors," over corporate governance issues like executive compensation, activist hedge fund manager Eric Jackson said to DailyFinance.