Are investors continuing to think short term?

A week ago ASOS, one of the UK’s most successful online retailers, announced plans to increase its investment in its warehousing and its IT as part of a longer term growth strategy.

Capital expenditure would therefore increase from £55 million to around £68 million and the outcome in the longer term would be an increase in ASOS’ sales capacity by £1 billion. In the short term the company’s operating margin up to August this year would be reduced from 7% to 6.5%.

Almost immediately after the announcement was published ASOS’ share value dropped by 20%.

Surely this company was being sensible in planning for growth in the longer term.  Isn’t this kind of thinking exactly what the business community should be doing?

Here yet again, we would argue, is an example of the kind of short term thinking that is endemic among investors and other “rent” seekers.  Or are we missing something here?