Stuart Elliott: Many Annual Reports Downplay Role Played by Ads in Business

'Tis the season -- not for Santa, but for annual meetings, when companies that sell stock to the public put their best foot forward with the people who own their shares as well as with potential investors. It's less "Ho, ho, ho" and more "How now, Dow Jones" as firms flood mailboxes, real and virtual, with annual reports, proxy statements and 10-Ks that look back at the fiscal year that was and offer encouraging words about what's to come.