News and analysis
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Philosophy and numbers: IR Impact briefing explores how AI is – and isn’t – changing earnings
‘Investors, analysts – everyone in financial markets – is consulting a vast amount of increasing data sources to inform their investment decisions,’ said Laurie Havelock, IR Impact editor, kicking off the recent briefing that brought together Jesse Rose, head of IR at Reddit, Dave Bezanson, vice president of IR and pensions at EMERA and Christopher Napolitano, account executive at AlphaSense, the event partner. While data opens up a world of insights, Havelock pointed to the added pressure it brings when IROs must distil everything that is out there into something they can deliver to the board. This, said Napolitano, is…
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People moves: Novo Nordisk brings in analyst who covered it for 15 years as new head of IR
The Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has hired one of the country’s top equity analysts to serve as its new head of IR. Michael Novod, formerly of Nordea Bank in Copenhagen, will leave his position by May 2026 to take over the IR team at Denmark’s most valuable company.
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The CFO: ‘IR professionals are like Swiss Army knives,’ says Unite Group’s finance chief Mike Burt
The student accommodation finance chief on an exciting acquisition, why IROs need to be good listeners and why analysts are like sports commentators who never played the game For many students in the UK and further afield, your first year of study is spent in a halls of residence – or purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), […]
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Introducing Quartr’s AI chat on mobile – purpose-built for public market research
Numbers are everywhere. But numbers alone don’t tell the full story. That’s why we launched Quartr’s AI chat on mobile, purpose-built for IR and public market research.
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Enhancing valuation: optimizing your equity story for the right investors
In Asia’s dynamic capital markets, the challenge for listed companies is clear: how to enhance valuation and ensure the right story resonates with the right investors. High ownership concentration, regional shareholder dominance and fragmented analyst coverage mean that earning the attention – and conviction – of global investors requires more than traditional broker-driven outreach or routine disclosures. What’s needed is an integrated approach built around three collar pillars: independent investor feedback, rigorous investor targeting and high-impact capital markets events.
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People moves: Ziff Davis appoints former US Department of State diplomat as head of IR
Plus new IROs at Expedia Group, ATS and Abnormal AI Magazine publisher and digital media company Ziff Davis has brought in a former US Department of State official as its new director of investor relations. JT Farley, whose last role saw him work as a foreign service officer (vice consul) at the US Department of […]
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‘Profit and purpose have been our yin and yang’: TPXimpact’s Luke Murphy on a first IR Impact award win
When the small-cap UK firm TPXimpact cropped up on the shortlists ahead of the IR Impact Awards – Europe 2025, it was a name unfamiliar to many of the judges – and perhaps many other onlookers. The company, which enables digital transformation projects for a range of organizations, including public sector bodies in the UK, may not be well-known in general, but Luke Murphy, head of IR and chief of staff, was among the names for the rising star award. The company’s annual and ESG reporting were also nominated.
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Meira Muscat 2025: From the role of the exchange to SWFs and debt IR
Over the past few years, the IR platform in the Middle East has been evolving quickly. Exchanges are maturing, listings are more regular and IR is moving beyond ‘results day’ toward a steadier focus on access, liquidity and clear communication. We’re seeing more structured targeting, more emphasis on guidance and capital allocation and better use of data that investors can actually work with. Sovereign funds are engaging in more targeted ways and many issuers are doing a better job of aligning the equity and debt stories. This came through clearly in Muscat. With more than 1,200 attendees in town, the…
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Building an IR function: a strategic roadmap to success
From getting management buy in to running an IR audit and building an investor pipeline – a break down of the essentials that elevate the IR program Investor relations has come a long way. What used to be a compliance checkbox is now a strategic discipline that directly impacts your cost of capital, liquidity and valuation. The question isn’t whether IR adds value anymore, it’s whether you’re building the function correctly. This evolution changes how you build your team for success – whether you are expanding the IR department, coming in fresh, building out the team from scratch or growing…
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What can you do when the US Government becomes a shareholder in your company?
When the Trump administration announced it would take a 10 percent stake in Intel to securitize the government’s funding of the company under the CHIPS Act, the markets were stunned. Many questioned this new course, asked how effective the government could be at owning stocks and wondered how the administration could help or hinder Intel. Moreover, how would US taxpayers benefit?
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The new era of sustainability reporting: global shifts, practical lessons and strategic opportunities
Sustainability reporting is entering a new era. Regulatory shifts, evolving standards and rising stakeholder expectations are reshaping the landscape, creating both challenges and opportunities for organizations worldwide. Demand for consistent, comparable and decision-useful information continues to push voluntary standards toward harmonization, while jurisdictions move closer to mandatory frameworks. The result: a reporting environment that is more complex, but also more transparent, globally aligned and investor-focused.
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How to craft proxies that gain the trust and support of your shareholders
As investor expectations continue to evolve, the proxy statement has become more than a regulatory requirement: it’s now a strategic tool for corporate storytelling and stakeholder engagement. The newly released playbook, titled ‘From compliance to confidence: Proxies that win trust and votes’ and written in partnership with DFIN, offers a timely and comprehensive guide for companies looking to strengthen their proxy disclosures ahead of the upcoming season.
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People moves: Heather Hille takes on IR at The Toro Company as Carole Dupont-Pietri leaves Hermès
Heather Hille has moved into a new role at The Toro Company, taking on investor relations responsibilities in addition to her existing corporate affairs duties. Hille has served as managing director of corporate affairs at the NYSE-listed outdoor solutions company since 2019, but will add investor relations, public relations and corporate communications to her portfolio.
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Valuation drivers in utilities: insights from the sector for GCC-listed companies
Study points to an opportunity to align equity narratives more closely with international valuation expectations The utilities sector globally remains a cornerstone of defensive investing, valued for its stable cash flows and predictable returns. As Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets mature and attract a broader investor base, understanding the valuation drivers that influence market perceptions […]
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The sell side talks IR – part three: when and how analysts want to be engaged
There is no denying the ways in which Covid-19 and the rapid shift to virtual changed investor relations – most notably engagement. Driving home just how dramatic that change has been, one of our anonymous analyst interviewees – anonymous in order to encourage openness – says this: ‘Before 2020, I think I’d done probably two video calls in 20 years. This call is the third one of the day. So that’s changed dramatically.’ In the third part of our series on the sell-side-IR-relationship, we look at how IR teams interact with their analysts, how often analysts want to hear from…
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Navigating volatile stock price movements: a playbook for public company executives and boards
Corporate executives often wake up to unsettling stock price swings with no clear catalyst, news, filings or obvious events. In today’s markets, volatile price movements frequently extend well beyond the fundamentals. Algorithmic trading, macro-overlay strategies and ETF flows often drive disconnects, making market reactions appear irrational.
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‘I felt a mix of respect and fear’ going into IR, says Infineon’s multiple award-winning IR lead
German semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies has had a busy year. To start with, as revealed in the latest instalment of The CFO column, Dr Sven Schneider, the firm’s finance chief, told IR Impact about the 30 conferences and 20 roadshows the company has held this year. It has also been a year of huge success for the IR team, which took home some of the most prestigious IR Impact trophies at the Europe Awards in June, winning the best overall investor relations (large cap) category as well as the gong for best in sector, technology. The same night also saw…
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Finding out what the sell side really thinks about IR
Would you like to know exactly what your analysts are thinking? No, I’m not here to tell you about some new sell-side telepathy service – though I’m sure many of our readers would jump at the option and maybe that’s one for Elon Musk’s Neuralink to figure out – but rather some new research that exposes just how analysts think about IR.
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NIRI’s Megan Larson joins private energy firm and Meira taps S&P for new CEO
After a ‘relaxing yet productive summer’ – in which she gained her US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Master License, among other things – Megan Larson has joined Efficient Markets, the unlisted holding company for EnergyNet and Indigo Energy Advisors.
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‘Sometimes I have to play some Witcher or Cyberpunk during my work day’: CD Projekt’s Karolina Gnas on heading IR at a video game developer
The Polish company appeared on two IR Impact Award shortlists at this year’s Europe awards Many IR professionals may have found themselves working at companies they have a deep personal interest in. For Karolina Gnas, head of IR at the Polish video game developer CD Projekt, this means that she gets to enjoy the studio’s […]
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Why listed companies should engage with hedge funds
I have been working as an IR professional for almost 15 years. To my continued surprise, I still meet peers who remain negative around hedge funds. In fact, they actively seek to minimize interaction. And if they do allow such meetings, they squeeze hedge fund managers into large group meetings, normally led by IR rather than management. To me, this approach is counterproductive. The role of the IR department is to safeguard a fair valuation of the share by communicating correctly to all relevant corners of the financial markets. I strongly believe that open doors and strong relationships improve liquidity…
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‘The word ‘Texas’ means friend, and all are welcome!’ Barrow Hanley on its long-term value focus
Patricia Barron and Mark Giambrone talk about Texas, when IR-only meetings work and how often the investment management firm likes to meet before it buys in As companies eye Texas – and Dallas in particular – as a roadshow destination, the Lone Star State has been pushing forward its business-friendly appeal with the new Texas Stock Exchange poised to begin trading next year, listings already in place on NYSE Texas and new legislation. Patricia Barron, executive director, chief operating officer and head of risk at Barrow Hanley, and Mark Giambrone, the investment management firm’s executive director, head of US equities…
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People moves: Mia Nordlander takes over at Sinch as Tiffany Willis departs Starbucks
Plus new IROs in place at Cantourage, Savills and Global Payments Tiffany Willis, the award-winning head of IR at US retail chain Starbucks, has stepped down from her role in order to prioritize time with her family. She most recently scooped the award for best investor event (large cap) at the IR Magazine Awards – […]
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With CSRD up for review, the time has come to reclaim the concept of sustainability
It started more as a form of activism, then developed into a trend that everyone would jump on before turning into a monster whose tamers have completely resigned. With European regulations and a zealous auditing spirit, companies’ sustainability work has been driven to be about decimal points and regulatory compliance, instead of adding shareholder value or social and environmental benefits. As the EU Commission says ‘stop, change and do things right’, the time has come for communicators and IROs to reclaim the concept of sustainability. When we write the history of corporate communication up to and into the 2010s, the…
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The sell side talks IR – part two: those crucial coverage numbers
In a series of anonymous conversations – with identifies protected in order to get frank responses – IR Impact talked to sell-side analysts about their relationships with IR professionals. In part one, we looked at the value of research – from both the IR viewpoint and from the sell side, including advice from analysts on how they felt IR could improve data sharing, face time, responsiveness and more – all the elements that go into a good IR-sell-side relationship.
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The CFO: ‘We’ve done 30 conferences and 20 roadshows this year,’ says Infineon’s Dr Sven Schneider
Semiconductors and chips might be synonymous with Taiwan. But Germany’s Infineon Technologies is not only growing its own market share in key industries but is helping to drive forward the EU’s goals on chip manufacturing – captured in the European Chips Act, which aims to double the bloc’s share of global chip production to 20 percent by 2030. Infineon also happens to excel at investor relations, taking home some of the most prestigious awards at this year’s IR Impact Awards – Europe. The firm won the gong for best overall investor relations (large cap); best investor relations officer (large cap)…
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People moves: Chip Newcom takes the IR wheel at electric truck maker Rivian
Electric vehicle maker Rivian has announced the appointment of Chip Newcom, a multiple IR Impact Award-winner and former head of IR at Equinix, as its new investor relations lead.
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Where were the directors? Why investors want to know how boards act in a corporate scandal
When a corporate scandal breaks, the first question investors ask is Where were the directors? This phrase was coined by Peter Dey in 1994 when he led a report on how to improve corporate governance practices at Canadian listed companies. Corporate scandals have always existed and many stem from weak corporate governance, often caused by a lack of communication, insufficient internal controls or a very lax attitude towards potential problems. In 2024, the US administration criticized Boeing’s board for failing to adequately supervise the safety procedures of its aircraft, following several accidents involving its 737 Max model that resulted in…
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‘Nothing short of an investor relations telenovela’: How 2025 has treated IROs so far
If somebody could have plotted out the broad strokes of the past 12 months – ongoing international crises, political unrest, economic uncertainty to name but a few – I don’t think many of us would have believed what was in store. But, as it is, the capital markets have experienced quite the rough ride in 2025 so far. For IR professionals, that’s meant an even higher burden when it comes to keeping their investors, analysts and other stakeholders informed.
Spotlight Content
Off-season engagement highlights shifting views on ESG
Companies ponder how to keep talking about sustainability We’re coming to the end of ‘off season’ – when many companies go out on the road to engage with key institutional investors ahead of their annual shareholder meeting. According to a recent IR Magazine survey, around two thirds of IR teams say they have a program…
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