More Companies Meeting With Hedge Funds and Sovereign Wealth Funds, According to BNY Mellon Investor Relations Survey

93% of surveyed firms meet with hedge funds, 47% meet with SWFs

Nearly a quarter considering secondary stock listing in emerging markets

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Oct 25, 2010, 05:00 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Companies worldwide are adapting their investor relations strategies to enhance their outreach to hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds, according to an annual survey conducted by BNY Mellon, the global leader in asset management and securities servicing. In another key finding, the study reports that 22% of respondents are contemplating a secondary stock listing to attract investors in high growth markets, most notably China and Hong Kong.

Developed as a benchmarking tool for BNY Mellon's depositary receipt clients, the survey, Global Trends in Investor Relations, looks at how publicly traded companies are managing their IR practices – from guidance and disclosure policies to sell-side approaches and growing interest in social media tools. The survey was conducted during July and August 2010 and features input from nearly 400 companies across 47 countries. Respondents run the gamut of market cap, region and industry, including financials, technology, industrials, consumer staples and energy.

"We're seeing companies truly act more globally to raise their IR profile, from the time spent with hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds to the burgeoning use of secondary listings that target regional high growth markets," said Michael Cole-Fontayn, chief executive officer of BNY Mellon's Depositary Receipts business. "IR officers are making a commitment to give fair and equal access to all investors, no matter who or where they are, to make sure they have the best information about their company."

Key findings of the survey include:

93% of all companies meet with hedge funds, versus 89% in 2009; 24% of a firm's investor meetings are with hedge funds, up from 16% in 2009. The reasons why some firms do not meet with hedge funds include lack of information on a fund's strategy and shorting risk
47% of all companies meet with sovereign wealth funds and an additional 23% are considering meeting with them. Western European companies are the most likely to meet (56%) or consider meeting (44%) with SWFs. North American firms are least likely to engage sovereign wealth funds, in fact more than half have no plans to meet with them
Nearly a quarter (22%) of companies are considering a secondary listing in an emerging market, outside their home market. Among these firms, the large majority (70%) identified a listing in China or Hong Kong of strategic interest
Social responsibility reporting is most common in Western Europe (77% of companies issue SRI/CSR reports) and Latin America (72%), in contrast to firms in Asia-Pacific (36%) and North America (29%)
Only 9% of companies use social media to communicate with investors, but 35% are looking for more information on its potential uses. Of those that do use social media, Twitter is the preferred medium, followed by corporate blogs
82% of companies provide financial guidance, especially those in Western Europe (89%) and North America (86%). 70% of firms in the BRIC countries offer such guidance, compared to 82% of companies in non-BRIC emerging markets
Over the next three years, North America (77%) and Europe (70%) will continue to be the major regions of focus for growth of investor opportunities, followed by Asia (48%).

"With the continued globalization of the equity markets, it is of growing strategic importance for companies to benchmark their investor relations activities against their global peers," said Guy Gresham, New York head of the Global IR Advisory team in BNY Mellon's Depositary Receipts group. "Our investor relations specialists work with clients to apply appropriate survey findings to support their efforts in targeting new pools of investment."

This is the sixth annual investor relations survey conducted by BNY Mellon's DR team. The full report is available online at www.bnymellon.com/dr.

BNY Mellon acts as depositary for more than 2,100 American and global depositary receipt programs, acting in partnership with leading companies from 67 countries. With an unrivaled commitment to helping securities issuers succeed in the world's rapidly evolving financial markets, the company delivers the industry's most comprehensive suite of integrated depositary receipt, corporate trust and stock transfer services. Learn more at www.bnymellon.com/dr.

BNY Mellon (NYSE: BK) is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets. BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $24.4 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.14 trillion in assets under management, services $12.0 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.6 trillion per day. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Learn more at www.bnymellon.com.

This release is for informational purposes only. BNY Mellon provides no advice nor recommendation or endorsement with respect to any company or securities. Nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Depositary Receipts: Not FDIC, State or Federal Agency Insured; May Lose Value; No Bank, State or Federal Agency Guarantee.

SOURCE BNY Mellon