News
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‘Don’t resist the unfamiliar’: Andrew Posen on how IROs can keep up with the buy side’s use of AI
The WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone head of IR speaks ahead of an upcoming IR Magazine event One new technology has dominated headlines in 2024: the emerging importance of AI in everybody’s lives, not just for IROs. The upcoming IR Magazine Forum – AI & Technology is focused on how IROs can following the footsteps of investors, governance and corporate communications teams who are adopting innovative technology, machine-learning and generative AI to support their day-to-day decision-making. Taking place on December 3 in New York, the event will provide IR teams at publicly listed companies with a blueprint for the responsible…
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People moves: Jill Greer takes off from Travel + Leisure to land at Wheels Up
New IROs also in place at Centrus Energy and Bousted Singapore Jill Greer, the former head of investor relations at Delta Air Lines, has taken up a new role with private aviation firm Wheels Up as its executive vice president, investor relations and sustainability. With over two decades of experience in aviation, Jill spent 20 years at Delta in various IR roles, including most recently as vice president, finance – investor relations and digital transformation. Since then, she has also worked in IR teams at Florida smart home security firm ADT and, most recently, as vice president of investor relations…
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A Swedish guide to ‘analyst massaging’: how to balance storytelling and information provision
Rumors persist that some companies allegedly have private chats with analysts Now and then, claims are made that public companies have said or implied information in closed rooms that affected the perception of the firm. Someone with this information may then adjust their estimates, or perhaps even trade in the security. Illegitimate information provision is of course against the rules and nothing that a serious company deals with, or even gets close to. The regulations for what constitute confidential information are clear. Likewise, it is fairly easy to determine when a hint evolves into a clear advice. Still, suggestions that…
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Five ways to maximize the impact of your CSRD double materiality assessment
How to ensure that meeting the EU reporting requirement’s standards is not just a box-ticking exercise The market for materiality assessments is booming; it seems like everyone is undertaking this sustainability prioritization exercise as we head into 2025. But with compliance top of mind under the EU’s CSRD, the genuinely exciting part of materiality – the ‘bite’ which turns data from insight into impact – can feel like an afterthought. So, what can you do to ensure that your double materiality assessment is impactful and not just another tick-box exercise? Take a tailored approach The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group…
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‘We are not going for hype’: Why IR teams are using finfluencers to help them reach investors
IROs say that retail investors are increasingly using alternative channels to find their companies Finfluencers weren’t part of Eugeniu Baltag’s original IR plan. But he says markets have changed – and digitalization has changed IR. Especially for companies with a strong retail following like Purcari, the multi-award-winning Moldovan winery, where he serves as investor relations director. ‘We are living in a very dynamic world, and digitalization is part of our daily life,’ he states. ‘Right now, the entire IR communication is shifting.’ Traditional forms of IR engagement remain of course – broker-organized events, meetings with institutions – but Baltag says…
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As Elon Musk joins Donald Trump’s cabinet, Tesla’s investors should be wary
The billionaire’s attentions are likely to be even more divided in 2025 As the dust settles after the US election last week, returning president Donald Trump is starting to assemble the team that will manage his second administration. The incoming cabinet includes controversial appointments like congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general, Florida Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. But the move most likely to raise eyebrows on the capital markets – at least until a replacement for SEC chair Gary Gensler is announced – is that of Elon Musk…
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People moves: FirstEnergy names Karen Sagot as vice president of IR
Elsewhere, an experienced Asian IRO joins Target IR & Communications FirstEnergy, the NYSE-listed power company, has named Karen Sagot as its vice president of IR, with the position effective November 10. She will report to CFO Jon Taylor. Most recently, Sagot was head of IR at Enphase Energy. Prior to joining the IR profession, she spent nearly 20 years working in corporate and investment banking. Her previous roles include serving as managing director at JP Morgan’s energy, infrastructure and renewables corporate banking arm and a similar role Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Before that, she filled various roles in RBS…
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Big boost to CFO reporting lines as senior management increase IR focus
IR teams also enjoying more buy-in from other department heads, figures from IR Magazine’s Global Investor Relations Practice Report 2024 show CFOs are taking on increasing responsibility for the investor relations program, with new research showing that 75 percent of IR teams now report to the chief financial officer globally – a figure that is up from 66 percent just a year ago. That’s according to the latest Global Investor Relations Practice Report from IR Magazine, which covers everything from senior management involvement in IR to team sizes, salaries and IR budgets. It explores these factors globally as well as…
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What it means to be a primary information provider
Why IROs should care about the FCA’s latest designation
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Can sustainable divesting pressure companies to improve their environmental profiles?
Academic Dr George Skiadopoulos presents the latest research into how investors sway companies Do institutional investors take into account firms’ climate exposures in setting up stock portfolios? And, if they do, what are the effects on the cost of equity of the firms they are investing in (or divesting from) and the resulting effects on the firms’ future environmental profiles? A common narrative in climate finance is that if an investor cares about the climate and a company is negatively contributing to the environment, then the investor will ‘punish’ the company by underweighting the stock in their portfolio. As a…
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Trump’s victory may not mean what you think it does for ESG disclosures
While the SEC’s climate rule could be axed, many companies will still need to build out their ESG disclosures Rather than weeks or months of damaging uncertainty, the US presidential election delivered a surprisingly swift and clear verdict this week, with Donald Trump quickly projected as having an unassailable lead over Kamala Harris. That means commentary can now turn to what a Trump second term will look like. For the IR profession, major changes are afoot given that the Republican candidate pledged in July to fire SEC chair Gary Gensler on his first day in office. In the comments, Trump…
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People moves: New IROs join teams at Arhaus, KX and TD Synnex
Plus Elevance Health’s head of IR moves into CFO role Derek Brown, formerly head of IR at Trustpilot, has moved into a new role at head of investor relations at KX, a UK software company that was divested from FD Technologies. Brown, who previously worked on pre-IPO IR efforts at Trustpilot before it listed in London in March 2021, will start to communicate the company’s investment case with potential investors, according to a LinkedIn post. He describes KX as a provider of ‘advanced solutions for the financial markets, aerospace and defence, energy, IoT [internet of things], manufacturing and healthcare industries’.…
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ANTA Sports and Kerry Logistics claim most short lists for the IR Magazine Awards – Greater China 2024
Winners will be announced in Hong Kong on December 4 ANTA Sports Products leads the way with nine nominations for the IR Magazine Awards – Greater China 2024. The sports equipment company appears on the short lists for major honors including best overall investor relations (large cap), best investor relations officer (large cap) and best annual report (large cap). Close behind is Kerry Logistics Network, with eight nominations, followed by a group of companies with six shortlists each: Link Asset Management, Far East Consortium International, China Resources Beer and Xtep International Holdings. In total, more than 35 companies across mainland…
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Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production leads short list for IR Magazine Forum & Awards – South East Asia
Firm is up for seven awards, with winners revealed in Singapore on November 29 With nominations in seven different categories – including the much-coveted best overall investor relations and best investor relations officer segments – PTT Exploration and Production leads the pack as the short lists are revealed for the IR Magazine Forum & Awards – South East Asia. Click here to see the full short list. A diverse group of companies from across the region are in the running to be named top of class, though Thai firms have made a strong showing this year. Eighteen trophies will be…
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How investor relations teams can streamline their Q&A preparations
AI can help reduce the workload for the time-consuming task of earnings preparation
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Why Puig Brands’ post-IPO performance shows confidence must take precedence over the stock price
High valuations followed by disappointments lead to years of broken trust, says Ricardo Jiminez The greatest asset for any listed company is investor confidence. It is the fundamental pillar that encourages fund managers to invest their money. But companies often believe that their best asset is to keep the share price as high as possible. This is a mistake, because the stock price is the consequence of many factors that are outside companies’ control – from regulatory risks to geopolitical factors and interest rate levels. Confidence, however, has a direct impact on a company’s ability to access markets and…
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Four lessons for IROs and governance professionals from Disney’s proxy fight with Trian Partners
The clash with Nelson Peltz’s activist campaign has clear learnings for listed companies 2024 is almost over and, while it is not yet time to wrap it up (earnings season is not over yet and we still have a slightly consequential election coming up), it is worthwhile to return to one of the hottest corporate stories of the year: the larger-than-life fight between the Walt Disney Company, with its superstar CEO Bob Iger, against activist fund Trian Partners led by Nelson Peltz. It delivers great learnings for both IR and governance practitioners. This clash of the titans has had many…
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Achieving energy transition and better ESG governance from an SOE perspective
PetroChina’s approach sets the standard
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Europe’s top 500 companies resemble the US list of 20 years ago – and that could be a problem
The Fortune 500 ranking shows that similar problems may face Europe’s top companies What are the biggest companies in Europe, according to their revenue? According to Fortune, it’s largely companies in the automative, energy and finance sectors. The second edition of the Fortune 500 Europe is dominated by the likes of German car maker Volkswagen, which has risen to number-one spot this year, and features several of the continent’s industrial powerhouses. In fact, it features many of Germany’s leading companies. But the authors of the index have pointed to something interesting: the makeup of the 2024 list looks very similar…
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People moves: Prime minister’s former speechwriter joins IR team at Swedish satellite firm
New IRO also in place at US banking and retail technology company Diebold Nixdorf A former speechwriter for the Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson has joined satellite technology and services company AAC Clyde Space as its new head of communications for investor relations and public affairs. Håkan Tribell, who also previously worked at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and served as director of ideas at the Nordic think tank Timbro, will join the Stockholm-listed company effective January 7, 2025. He will be responsible for building links with a range of stakeholders, including shareholders. Speaking about his new job, Tribell says…
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Global Investor Relations Practice Report 2024 – Europe available now
The state of IR in the world and Europe, according to IR Magazine’s latest research How are IR teams around the world managing their resources? How have their team sizes changed? And what involvement do they have from their company’s senior management? Read the report here > This report is available to IR Advanced subscribers to IR Magazine. The answers to these questions and many more can be found in IR Magazine’s latest Global Investor Relations Practice Report, which contains essential insights into how IR teams across the globe are operating. This year’s edition, based on responses from more…
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‘I’m really excited about more global harmonization of disclosures and standards’: What to look out for at the Corporate Reporting Forum
IR Magazine speaks to Carrie Christopher ahead of the upcoming New York event As global corporate reporting requirements continue to expand, companies are under growing pressure to deliver disclosures that meet higher standards of reliability, transparency and detail. The upcoming Corporate Reporting Forum, taking place in New York City on November 6, 2024, aims to help reporters enhance their practices to provide greater strategic value. By improving the quality of corporate disclosures, we hope to support more informed decision-making and better meet the needs of public company stakeholders. One of the most anticipated sessions of the day will examine…
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Data management and cyber-security: Key strategies for IR teams
How to manage huge volumes of data, mitigate cyber-risks and build your data capabilities from scratch
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Crafting a solid equity story
Crafting a solid equity story goes far beyond simply presenting data: it’s an art form, a company narrative grounded in precision and truth
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Future-proof investor communications: A new era in earnings calls
How to meet today’s expectations and adapt to the challenges of tomorrow
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What UK IR teams can do to decrease outflows from the stock market
Three tips to stem the outflow trend and revitalize the market
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What meme-stock rallies have told us about retail investors
Never underestimate the power of the retail voice
