Retail investors
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‘Being able to teach, mentor and promote my team is the highlight of my career,’ says Pfizer’s Francesca DeMartino
In her almost three years as chief investor relations officer at Pfizer, Francesca DeMartino has already racked up two IR Impact trophies and a nomination. In an exclusive interview with IR Impact, she talks about the way the team is set up, the support that IR gets from Pfizer management and other functions across the firm – all of which comes together to allow DeMartino to implement ambitious projects beyond the bread and butter of IR. Still, it is the Street-facing side of the role – the lunches that let you get inside the minds of investors and analysts, the…
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SpaceX IPO shines light on the market structures that shape valuation – and IR
This week’s IPO by SpaceX will not be just a record-setting transaction; it will also become a stress test for equity market structure. Its early trading performance will be shaped, at least initially, by index-inclusion rules and it will pose a challenge for both passive capital and active management. In this deal, the market is not buying only ‘a good story’ but also a supply-and-demand structure. The most important point is that, against an estimated valuation of $1.75 tn dollars, the company is looking to raise ‘only’ $75 bn dollars. In other words, what actually comes to market is only…
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‘We’ve made a point of finding unique and creative IR experiences to meet user-investors,’ says Reddit’s Jesse Rose
Jesse Rose moved from FP&A to IR at Reddit ahead of the firm’s $748 mn IPO in 2024 – an event that brought many of the social network’s loyal users in as shareholders. The company went on to win the IR Impact Award for best shareholder innovation a year later, with Rose taking the Rising Star trophy as well. Here, he talks to IR Impact about how the firm engages with its ‘user-investors’ and how its creative, open approach has become a model for other companies looking to build meaningful relationships with retail shareholders. He also talks about what he…
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The rising influence of retail investors in M&A votes
Retail investors are increasingly shaping corporate governance and M&A transactions, driven by accessible financial platforms and a growing willingness to exercise their shareholder voting rights. Unlike institutional investors, who have historically dominated shareholder votes, retail investors represent a dynamic and expanding bloc that companies must engage strategically. This article examines the rise of retail investor influence, key drivers of their participation and actionable strategies for corporations to leverage this trend in critical M&A votes.
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As Rachel Reeves urges bankers to be less ‘negative’ on selling shares, is the UK due a retail boom?
As the UK’s Labour party deals with its fair share of crises this summer, the chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined her intention to promote long-term equity investing for retail investors.
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A 2025 playbook for IROs: navigating IPOs, retail power and data-driven IR
Share buybacks and retail investors have dominated the conversation early in the year
