Stating up front that I know nothing about corporate law, I don't understand how these activists types are able to buy a relatively small number of shares in a corporation and force the corporation to do anything. From what I've read, this group of nuns forces S&W to conduct a study on their own efforts on gun safety, smart gun technology, etc. How does that work?
That said, some attorneys I know say that this appears to be a new tactic among activist groups trying to take on big business. If they can get enough shares to force a study like this, their intention is to make the study public, either for bad PR or as evidence in lawsuits against the company.