Risky business: do companies pay a price for expressing political views?

Staying politically neutral on Trump administration policies is proving difficult for businesses in the face of mounting public pressure

American companies have a long history of weighing in on political and social issues. But the election of Donald Trump has fueled public pressure on businesses to go much further to take a stand on specific policies - and made it difficult for those that wish to remain neutral.

Trump's recent decision to revoke a legal guidance that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice drew a round of protests from companies such as Yahoo and Apple. Before that, his actions on immigration, environment and women's reproductive health - along with his propensity for tweet-attacking companies he doesn't fancy - had already fanned intense public outrage that in turn has forced many businesses to publicly take sides.

Related: Get off the sidelines: businesses can't play it safe politically in the age of Trump