Do’s and Don’ts for a Successful Analyst Day
When done well, an Analyst Day (or Investor Day) is an extremely valuable investor relations tool. Typically a half- or full-day event your company hosts for buy- and sell-side analysts, an analyst day meeting can significantly enhance an analyst’s understanding of your company’s fundamentals, as well as aid them in better valuing your stock. At Westwicke, we have participated in hundreds of analyst days over our careers, and this experience lends valuable third-party perspective that has helped many companies hold successful analyst day events. To that end, I offer some do’s and don’ts for analyst days compiled over Westwicke’s years on Wall Street:
Do hold an analyst day every 18-24 months. The event provides investors with a deeper-than-normal dive into your company, and helps demonstrate your management team’s breadth and strategic vision.
Do provide unique content. Think about including members of the management team that investors don’t normally interact with. Consider bringing in physician experts or customers to provide an outsider’s perspective on your products or market. In the planning stages, ask both buy- and sell-side analysts for input.
Don’t get lost in the weeds. While this meeting is an opportunity to delve more deeply into the company, make sure your presentation remains meaningful to investors and avoids unnecessary detail. Frequently pause when building the presentation and ask yourself, “What does this all mean? Why should investors care about this information?”
Do formulate key messages. Answer the question: What do you want to see in the analysts’ notes the next day? Tie your messages together, so people walk away with a sense of what your company’s goals mean in total in terms of the investment opportunity in your stock.
Don’t overestimate attendance. In setting your analyst attendance expectations, be realistic and keep weather, site location and schedules in mind. Set up a live webcast for non-attendees as well as a replay to view later.
Do rehearse and prepare thoroughly for the Q&A session. During the presentation rehearsal, also drill your presenters with questions, especially controversial ones. Practice giving succinct and transparent answers.
Don’t make your Q&A session too short. Provide ample time to address investors’ queries and allow your senior officers to field questions. Make sure the webcast picks up all questions and your responses.
Do look for optimal meeting-day scheduling. Try to time your meeting with important announcements, and plan around key medical meetings, investor conferences, vacation periods, holidays and earnings seasons to ensure it is an “easy attend” for your invitees.
Don’t miss an opportunity to “show and tell” about your company’s products or services. Product fairs or facility tours can especially enhance the meeting’s value.
Following these few tips will put your company on the path to a successful analyst day. We can provide more useful tips and importantly provide in-depth strategic and logistical planning to solidify the success of your company’s analyst day meeting. Subscribe to our RSS feed for more information on this and related topics, sign up for our newsletter or contact us.
ICR Westwicke is the largest healthcare focused investor relations firm in the country. We provide customized investor relations programs and independent capital markets advice to small and mid-cap healthcare companies.
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