White papers

26 March, 2020

Over the past 3 weeks, along with our IRO research, we have interviewed the investment community in regard to the unprecedented impact COVID-19 and what investors need companies to address in their communications.

19 March, 2020

E (environmental) and S (social) awareness/reporting have become just as important as the day-to-day G (governance) within the companies we work for and support. How are you tackling it? Do you know what other companies are doing? Is it becoming a theme you cannot ignore but do not quite know how to address? How do you ensure your board are taking it seriously?

13 March, 2020

The ever-changing corporate landscape is making the AGM season a more uncertain time.

3 March, 2020

Want to know how to tell a compelling story under the new UK Corporate Governance Code? We’ve updated our guide with case studies and examples to consider for engaging reporting.

17 February, 2020

This publication highlights the key facts, figures, global trends and major milestones in the Depositary Receipts industry for issuers, brokers and investors.

24 January, 2020

An unlikely battle has been brewing for the future of the annual report. For some, reporting should focus on communicating information transparently to investors and analysts. For others, it offers an opportunity to tell a company’s story. So what exactly does the future hold for reporting? We wanted definitive answers, so we spoke to 1,000 ‘informed citizens’ and business leaders to find out how and why they use reporting.

17 December, 2019

UK’s recently launched Green Finance Strategy expects all listed companies and large asset owners to be disclosing in line with the TCFD recommendations by 2022. In addition to regulatory pressures, what remains the same is the high level of expectation from investors and other stakeholders around reporting of climate-related issues. Black Sun examines the current status of FTSE 100 reporting against the TCFD framework in this report.

13 December, 2019

Despite the current political and economic uncertainties, companies are beginning to lead the way in climate change reporting. With increasing demands from investors, consumers and other stakeholders, clear communication of the risks and opportunities climate change presents become increasingly important. Our latest whitepaper provides guidance to companies on how to digest these urgent climate challenges and report transparently on their impact.

6 December, 2019

Welcome to AGM Trends 2019, the annual review of trends and developments during the 2019 annual general meeting (AGM) season compiled by Equiniti’s Registration Services and Company Secretarial teams.

6 December, 2019

The reporting landscape has changed rapidly over the last decade and the role of the annual report is in the spotlight again. As the trend towards ‘no frills’ reporting gathers momentum, it is time to take a step back and ask what exactly do investors want from reporting. It is why we commissioned this independent study, and why we believe the results will be of great interest to corporate communicators.

7 November, 2019

In 2019, a record 479 IROs from leading companies across the world participated in our annual IR survey, up from 221 in 2018, to provide the most comprehensive insight to date into changing attitudes and practices, from objective-setting, reporting and guidance to analyst coverage, investor and activist engagement, and harnessing technology to help meet core objectives.

3 October, 2019

We are currently in the middle of a sea change in investor relations. A mixture of global corporate governance developments and a surge of interest in ethical behaviour from consumer and regulator alike has led to a metamorphosis from shareholder relations to stakeholder relations. Our latest report delves into the key themes of 2019 and the expectations for 2020 and beyond.

6 September, 2019

Having a unique culture that people talk about is for every business. And all stakeholder groups. In this white paper, we share five key themes identified in our research to better understand how companies are reporting on the role and importance of culture in supporting and driving business success.

6 September, 2019

Access to U.S. capital markets is increasingly important for UK and European issuers. As such, companies must consider efficient ways to expand their global footprint. For international firms, whose primary listing is outside the U.S., there are advantages that trading on the OTCQX Market can provide within their domestic market including increased U.S. investor holdings and an increase in liquidity and share value in both the home and OTC Markets.

12 August, 2019

With the peak of the 2019 AGM season behind us, our 2019 Proxy (AGM) Season Trends Report analyses the voting outcomes of this year’s AGMs and identifies three key trends that have dominated so far this year.

16 July, 2019

At the heart, social media is really about storytelling. As companies work at crafting their corporate story through the Annual Report, the same principles are at work when utilising the channels offered by social media. There are best practices, techniques, trends and design considerations all in play, working to deliver key messages to the relevant and most important audiences. Here at Magee we have created this research piece to help give more clarity using social media to effectively engage with your stakeholders.

5 July, 2019

The level of stock lending around ex-dividend dates spikes in roughly one third of FTSE 350 companies. But why? Dividend arbitrage (also known as dividend washing) is a trade that enables investment firms to reduce their tax bill relating to dividend payments. The method used is to place shares in alternative tax jurisdictions around the ex-dividend date so that less withholding tax will be paid. There is little that an IR professional can do in relation to dividend arbitrage, aside from understanding the mechanics behind this trade and being able to explain to senior management why trade volumes are increasing, yet the augmented volumes are not necessarily flowing through to significant changes in the constitution of the share register month on month.

3 June, 2019

With the possibility of early adoption of Companies Act and UK Corporate Governance Code changes, how companies have approached their reporting is particularly interesting this year. Emperor’s stakeholder engagement team has analysed the first 25 December 2018 FTSE 100 reports to be published, summarised the key learnings in this transitional period and included examples of best practice.

3 June, 2019

With an increasing interest in sustainability reporting and disclosures from stakeholders, it’s important to understand the complex landscape of frameworks and formats available.

13 May, 2019

Investor targeting is one of the most crucial pillars for a successful IR program. Identifying new investors and understanding their behavior is critical to driving strategic value. Check out this guide for 8 best practices that are designed to boost your targeting strategies and ROI for investor outreach.