Stock price has a lot to do with the future of a company. It to extent determines the cost to borrow capital, procure assets and influence political aspects. By far however the most important thing is keeping corporate raiders out of the balance sheet and cash flow. Corporate raider is a old term that is now called private equity. Sounds much better. Private equity comes in like a giant cash sucking vacuum. They suck up the cash for their investors and bolt for the next victim to bleed dry.