Posted on February 26th, 2019. Posted by ICR Westwicke
At Westwicke, an ICR Company, we know what constitutes investor relations (IR) best practices for one important reason: as former investors, bankers, analysts, and salespeople, we have the experience to understand information flow dynamics on Wall Street and the proven strategies. We have discussed specific best practices of a good IR strategy at length – sometimes in broad strokes and other times in greater detail. Every once in a while, however, it is important to pick your head up out of the trees and view the forest to get a sense of the prevailing buy-side perspective on IR and confirm that your intuition is in fact correct. I recently came across a global buy-side survey conducted by Rivel Research Group that underscores our qualitative expertise on IR strategy with quantitative measures. It is important for management teams of publicly traded companies to consider these buy-side perspectives as they approach IR.
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Posted on February 7th, 2019. Posted by ICR Westwicke
To some companies, the annual letter to shareholders is an art. Warren Buffet, for example, may write a 30-page letter that addresses a range of topics — some that have little relevance to the letter’s intended audience. However, as you prepare to release your annual letter to shareholders, the best approach for most companies is to keep it clear and concise. This letter is an important piece of communication with your investors, and it should clearly lay out your vision, goals, and milestones achieved. Here are six tips to make your letter as effective as possible.
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Posted on January 16th, 2019. Posted by ICR Westwicke
To execute a successful non-deal road show, you must put in the planning and work. It’s critical to pinpoint the right city and sponsoring analyst to make the most of your trip. However, that work and coordination is well worth it. By getting on the road and telling your story to the Street, you’ll experience many benefits. Here are what we consider the top 10 benefits of non-deal road shows.
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Posted on December 18th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
As the year comes to a close, it’s time for management teams to start thinking about their 2019 investor relations strategies. How can you learn from your efforts in 2018 — and what needs to change for the year ahead? Should you shift the focus of your activities or hold steady on the path toward the goals you outlined for the past year?
Here, our team of IR experts at Westwicke provide their best advice for creating a top-notch investor relations plan that aligns with your company’s goals and priorities for the upcoming year.
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Posted on November 20th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference provides an insightful beginning to the year. Beyond offering an opportunity to meet with analysts, investors, and other professionals in the healthcare industry, it illuminates trends that you’re likely to see throughout the upcoming year.
As you look forward to the 2019 event in January, start thinking about the information you can glean from the sessions you’ll attend, meetings you’ll facilitate, and announcements you’ll hear over the course of the conference.
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Posted on October 24th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
At a “banker bake-off,” you have the opportunity to compare investment banks and learn how they position themselves. One bank may talk about its relationships with the buy-side accounts, while another will highlight its track record for successfully getting private companies public.
After hearing that information, how do you make your final decision? Here are five primary areas to focus on to help you select the right banking team.
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Posted on October 10th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
Congratulations! You have spent the past 12 months — or possibly longer — building relationships with the Street, including investors, bankers, and sell-side analysts. You refined your presentation deck; drafted the S-1 after spending hours in a room with your attorneys, accountants, and management team; and brought your website and its content up to the caliber of a company that expects to be public soon. You engaged with the buy side during test-the-waters (TTW) meetings and, finally, your confidentially filed S-1 has flipped public.
However, U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) regulations require that you wait 15 days before the road show begins — so what do you do now?
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Posted on September 12th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
In April 2018, the Hong Kong Exchange announced a change to its listing rules to allow (among other things) biotechnology companies with no revenue to list on the bourse. The move came as Hong Kong sought to establish itself as a financing hub for pre-revenue companies, in the face of fierce competition from the Chinese mainland and Singapore, exchanges from which had been aggressively wooing companies with fast-growing earnings.
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Posted on August 23rd, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
In conjunction with your company’s initial public offering (IPO), your two-week road show will take you across the country and put you in front of hundreds of potential investors. To prepare you for the trip, your bankers will make sure you know the ins and outs of your “story.” However, to make your meetings successful, you’ll want to be aware of a few more tips for success. Here are 10 things you should keep in mind during those IPO road show meetings.
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Posted on June 27th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
We are regularly asked to characterize the market backdrop for potential life sciences IPOs. While biotech ETF performance can offer a glimpse at current conditions, we dug deeper and analyzed recent biopharma index strength, IPO activity and follow-on offerings, among other metrics.
Our analysis indicates the market remains strong, albeit with some signs of moderation.
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