As chief financial officer, your company’s valuation can be directly affected by your interactions with the investment community and your overall investor relations program. Here are five steps CFOs can take to immediately improve investor communications and drive long-term value.
1. Integrate Strategic Positioning in Your Quarterly Communications
Your quarterly earnings call is arguably the most important communications tool you have to continuously reinforce your IR positioning, primarily your investment thesis and growth strategy. The earnings call provides an opportunity to contextualize your financial results within the framework of your long-term vision, and showcase the successful execution of your growth strategy against key milestones.
In your CFO remarks specifically, don’t just read the numbers – anyone can look at the financial tables to get those. Provide context around key year-over-year or sequential movements, major surprises or unusual items. And tie your results to your stated strategy as much as possible.
2. Provide Compelling Digital IR Content
Companies have ramped up investor engagement, utilizing dynamic websites, content-rich videos, and interactive presentations to drive compelling messaging to the investment community. Investors are seeking ways to get deeper insight into your products and services, customers, and competitive advantages. For example, include short videos on your IR site that review various aspects of the company’s products, operations, growth strategy, or markets. Enable investors to hear the “voice of the customer” through actual video testimonials about what differentiates your company.
3. Engage With Investors Where They Are
According to the IR Magazine Global Roadshow Report 2023, only 57% of companies held in-person roadshows in 2023 compared to 93% in 2019. With the number of days spent on the road less than half of the pre-pandemic amount, there is an opportunity to grab the attention of the investment community by getting back out on the road for in-person engagement. Consider spending less time at conferences and more time conducting non-deal roadshows for a more personal interaction with targeted and qualified investors who have most likely already done some initial due diligence. Another tip for an engaged, full schedule – focus on those cities that do not typically have a high level of corporate access traffic (namely, not New York, Boston, or Chicago).
4. Plan Your Next Investor Day
Whether your company has undergone a transformative acquisition, has recently introduced new management, or seeks to clarify or reinforce its corporate strategy, an investor day creates excitement for your story and drives increased investor engagement, understanding and support. When executed effectively, investor days provide a unique opportunity for investors to dive deeper into your company’s strategy, market opportunities and long-term financial targets, and gain insights into your value creation potential. An investor day also offers an opportunity for investors to hear from the broader leadership team, demonstrating your company’s bench strength. Furthermore, the impact of a successful investor day extends beyond the event itself. Include video assets from your investor day on your IR website to provide an ongoing resource for investors. As you begin to plan your investor day, explore our investor day tips to guide you through the process.
5. Prepare for the SEC’s Final Climate Disclosure Rule and Other ESG-Related Disclosures
The SEC is preparing to issue its final climate disclosure rule in April, requiring companies to disclose climate-related risks, such as scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions, along with details about their risk management practices. In addition, proposals to strengthen human capital management disclosures and to increase disclosures on board diversity also are expected in 2024. While awaiting these impending rulings, the time is ripe to act on your ESG strategy and communications. Importantly, your ESG efforts need to tie back to the company’s corporate strategy. The key is to emphasize how progress on your ESG initiatives helps to drive growth and reduce the company’s overall risk. Explore four fundamental questions that serve as a guide to assess your sustainability readiness and ensure you are prepared to act.
At Sharon Merrill Advisors, we understand the critical role of effective investor relations programs. Our tailored solutions are designed to empower C-level executives and develop impactful communications that resonate with stakeholders and drive long-term success. Visit us at www.InvestorRelations.com or contact us to get the latest insights for your IR program.
