Buy side
-
‘We’re thinking about what AI is going to destroy as much as what it’s going to create’: Jonathan Knowles of Compound Equity Group
Compound Equity Group (CEG) was founded in 2024 and seeks high-conviction, long-term ideas in global equities. The founder and portfolio manager in charge, Jonathan Knowles, spent more than 30 years managing money at Capital Group. At his time of retirement in December 2024, he was in charge of some $50 bn in assets and was the chief investment officer of the firm’s $70 bn small-cap fund – the largest such fund in the world. CEG has recently raised $500 mn in capital and is deploying a very long-term, highly concentrated approach: to have 20 to 25 investments with some positions…
-
Amid such a complex environment, IR’s job is to keep things simple
It’s certainly a wild time to be an IRO. While uncertainty is always present in the market, companies are dealing with major surprises far more frequently at the moment. On any day, corporate strategies and financial guidance could be thrown into doubt by a policy announcement, geopolitical shift or another factor.
-
The CFO: ‘You need to have a stomach of iron during times of volatility,’ says Block’s Amrita Ahuja
Many IROs hope that their time in the profession might set them up well for a C-suite position well one day. But for Amrita Ahuja, CFO and COO for payments company Block, the transition happened directly during her time as head of IR for interactive entertainment firm Activision Blizzard, where she was called upon to become finance chief of its video-game publishing wing Blizzard Entertainment in 2018. Fast forward a few years and she now holds the dual posts of CFO and – for the past two years – COO at Block, the financial technology company founded by Jack Dorsey,…
-
How long do you have to be ‘short’? Recent debate puts spotlight on the movements of short sellers
Short seller reports can have a huge impact on the stocks they target. Everyone from regulators to law firms and even Netflix are looking to the impact of shorting stocks – with one law firm arguing free speech is being put at risk In the stock market, the traditional way to make money is to buy shares in a company and wait for the share price to rise. Another way is to short a company and wait for the share price to go down and buy back the cheaper shares. If the share price goes up, those shares must quickly…
-
Taking management on tour: What’s the sweet spot for investor meeting attendance?
‘We’re spending more time with investors without our management team,’ Naji Baydoun, director of IR at Innergex, told IR Impact editor Laurie Havelock in the Global Roadshow Report 2025. ‘Maybe at the beginning of the [2024] we were spending 10 percent of our investor engagements without management and now we’re up to about 25 percent with just the IR team,’ explained Baydoun. ‘That’s because we’ve built relationships and trust with those investors, so I’m happy about that.’ According to IR Impact’s 15th annual research report into the who, where, how and why of corporate roadshow activity, there has been a…
-
How to talk tariffs: IR in the new era of uncertainty
The US economy is in ‘a period of transition,’ US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday. By close of trading on Monday, the US S&P 500 had dropped almost 3 percent, with tech stocks taking a particularly heavy hit. Weeks of back and forth as Trump threatened tariffs, paused tariffs, reintroduced tariffs – and saw retaliatory levies by affected markets – finally came to a head.
-
IR Impact Masterclass: how to maximize your relationships with the buy side
Stephen Yiu, fund manager and co-founder of the Blue Whale Growth Fund, reveals how IR teams can make the most of their buy-side connections. Welcome to IR Impact’s Masterclass video series, where leaders and experts from across the capital markets share their insights, strategies and experiences to provide you with in-depth knowledge and practical skills to excel in your IR journey. Each IR Impact Masterclass will delve into critical topics, offering valuable perspectives and actionable advice. Whether you are looking to enhance your expertise, stay ahead of industry trends or gain a competitive edge, these long-form videos are your gateway…
-
Why UK and European corporates are building investor relations capabilities in the US
In an increasingly interconnected global economy, many UK and mainland European corporates are strategically expanding their investor relations capabilities beyond their home market
-
The CFO: The best IROs bring in ideas from all over, says Ciena’s finance chief
Gregg Lampf, head of IR at Ciena, is a familiar face at IR Impact events. He’s also a big advocate for AI for investor relations – a topic he talks about, writes about and puts to work in his day job.
-
‘What we don’t need is more masculine energy’: Where ESG fits in the corporate scandal warning system
What links Wells Fargo, the largest retail bank in the US with Boeing or failed blood-analysis startup Theranos? They all offer up examples of corporate scandal that feature in Guido Palazzo’s book The Dark Pattern: The hidden dynamics of corporate scandal, co-authored with Ulrich Hoffrage. In it, Palazzo, a professor of business ethics and TEDx Talk speaker, and Hoffrage, a professor of decision theory, seek to uncover what lands huge multinational firms with multi-million-dollar fines for fraud, their senior executives at best fired or at worst jailed.
-
Global Roadshow Report 2025 available now
Investor roadshows have become a pivotal element in IR programs, serving as a crucial platform for companies to connect with potential investors and ensure their stock remains actively traded. In a rapidly evolving post-pandemic market, the format of these roadshows has diversified, incorporating both in-person and virtual elements to cater to a broader audience. The […]
-
Global Roadshow Report 2025
IR Impact’s 15th annual research report into the who, where, how and why of corporate roadshow activity.
