maybe for luxury goods that are elastic, but most goods are things that people can't go without. are people going to stop buying food because it's expensive? medicine? essential durables like cars, washing machines? did stocks fall when virtually every company over the past 4 years announced skyrocketing prices for their goods? no, because that meant record profits because people have to keep buying to survive. the pain point you're imagining, the fall of sales, won't come until everyone's credit cards are maxed, savings are wiped out, and working people are destitute. it wouldn't be a gentle drop in business that the larger economy can respond to with gradual deflation of prices, it would be a sudden and violent crash that would become the 2nd great depression, which the us is not likely to bounce back from (only luck with wwii got us out of the first one). relying upon fiduciary responsibility to keep companies in check is foolish, when said fiduciary responsibility rewards short term thinking and not what is in the best interest of the whole economy. it's a classic example of the tragedy of the commons, self interested parties fucking the land until nothing suddenly grows.
United States