GM’s securities counsel John Kim says he is proud of how the company worked cross-functionally to deliver its award-winning proxy statement this year.
GM won the best proxy statement (large cap) category at the Corporate Governance Awards for the second consecutive year. The company’s 2018 proxy statement was largely a response to a proxy contest with Greenlight Capital, whereas the 2019 statement was used to focus more on the company’s long-term vision.
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Reporting Archive
It’s been one year since the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) launched its 77 industry-specific reporting standards, and the non-profit says 120 companies are now using the standards in their ESG reporting.
SASB launched its standards in November 2018, having worked with a large investor advisory group since 2011 to determine the material ESG factor...
Dec 02, 2019
A light in the dark
I recently spoke to Jim Toes, CEO of the Security Traders Association, about how the unprecedented number of issuer letters sent to the SEC about the access-fee pilot last year could be a sign that IR teams are getting more up to speed on market structure issues. He cited the increase in trading activity on dark pools as another issue IR teams need to be aware of. ‘Understanding where your stock is traded, why and b...
The IR Magazine Reporting & Disclosure report paints a picture of how this important part of good governance and investor communications is evolving. For example, nine in 10 companies have an online version of their annual report available, while 78 percent continue to provide a printed version.
But for Scott Payton, managing partner at Londonbased online corporate communications company Bowen Craggs & Co, this is something that will change. ‘I re...
For many companies, ESG communications really get going when the general counsel is taking the lead, according to Stephen James, head of EMEA business at ISS Corporate Solutions.
Speaking at the ESG Integration Forum – Europe 2019, hosted by IR Magazine and online sister publication Corporate Secretary, James said investor relations, along with other departme...
Investors punish firms that voluntarily disclose the existence of an SEC fraud investigation – even more so when those firms are exonerated, according to a new study. Sampling around 600 investigations, researchers find disclosers underperform other non-sanctioned firms that stay silent by almost 7 percent in the two months following the announcement. The gap rises to 12.7 percent after one year. What’s more, CEOs at disclosing firms are nearly 14 percent more likely t...
Late last month, Blackbaud launched its second annual social responsibility report, which provides an in-depth look at the company’s global social responsibility, governance, ethical practices and dedication to sustainability.
Steve Hufford, Blackbaud’s director of investor relations, notes that producing this type of report is such an important undertaking for companies that it reaches across disciplines within the organization.
‘When the topic of ESG ...
For many IR teams, the annual report is one of the biggest projects of the year. Countless hours are poured into planning, writing, editing and proofing it over a timeframe usually lasting several months.
Yet, once all that work is finished, companies are failing to make the most of the time and effort invested, according to a new study. Nexxar, the corporate reporting firm based in Austria, polled listed companies across the DACH region – comprising Germany, Au...
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IROs don’t need to be told that earnings calls are one of their most important duties. As a key point of contact with so many stakeholders and market participants, and with such a quantity of information and materials to prepare, the lead-up to the day of the call can be taxing (to say the least).
But it is indeed possible to keep earnings relatively stress-free. It’s all about tackling the big day with the right pre...
General Motors (GM) officials have raised concerns about aspects of SEC plans to revamp corporate disclosures.
The commission in August proposed to change rules – often in a principles-based direction – to update the description of business, legal proceedings and risk-factor disclosures companies must make under Regulation SK. The idea is to improve disclosures for investors and simplify complian...