The Westwicke Blog is designed to deliver information and insights into the ever-changing world of healthcare communications.
“Fear grows in darkness; if you think there’s a bogeyman around, turn on the light.”
The late journalist Dorothy Thompson may not have directed these words at corporate management, but the sentiment applies all the same.
Turning on the light and finding out how others really see your business can be a scary prospect. Staying in the dark and not knowing, however, can be costly for companies reliant on capital markets.
An initial public offering marks an important milestone in a company’s journey — a positive one, assuming the process is meticulously designed and implemented. Errors in planning and communication, however, can turn a vital Wall Street debut into a credibility-damaging flop.
Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of examples of IPOs gone wrong. One case of fairly recent vintage: meal-kit delivery service Blue Apron.
Establishing credibility in the investor community is key to your company’s success. Delivering a simple story, consistent metrics, and financial transparency are all ways to build relationships with your company’s stakeholders. But even one minor mistake can put a chip in your reputation. What are the credibility busters you should avoid that could negatively shape investor perception? Here are the top 10 things you should work hard to avoid.
The newly implemented MiFID II regulation, aimed at improving fairness and transparency in financial markets, may bring about important changes in the way many publicly traded companies in the United States introduce themselves to desirable investors.
In a post-MiFID II environment, it is imperative that management teams of public healthcare companies take a proactive approach to shareholder targeting and their corporate-access strategy.
Who doesn’t want new analyst coverage for their stock? As new coverage is generated, your stock becomes more visible, which, in turn, can potentially create more demand. When strategizing on which analysts make the most sense to cover your stock, there are several factors to consider. First and foremost, the main thing you should keep in mind is that getting the analysts you want to follow your stock is usually challenging and can typically take time, so set your expectations about new analyst coverage accordingly.
Completing a successful IPO is a major milestone in the life of a company. Deciding to embark on the journey to public markets is an exciting time, but it’s essential to ensure that your company is ready. Once the process kicks off, there’s no time to go back and complete important tasks — like meeting with institutional investors and finalizing your company message — that should have been done prior to your organizational meeting. This is when you’ll discuss your offering process with management, counsel, and other advisors.
A false start can significantly damage your company’s credibility on the Street. So how do you know if your company is ready? We’ve compiled a list of six key questions to consider that will help you evaluate whether your company is ready for an IPO.
Financial news travels instantly, and investors must process its market impact and take action at a similar pace. To help investors analyze new information and make key investment decisions, they look to the IR portion of your website — often a microsite available from your corporate website. An easy-to-use IR website must contain readily available information including up-to-date financials, a recent corporate presentation deck, event listings with access to replays, stock information, and news releases. How do you know if your IR site is any good? Here are five must-haves.
Over the past few months, much has been made of the new MiFID II regulation and the impact it will have on Wall Street, and ultimately, public companies. While it has been in effect since the beginning of the year, we’ve only just begun to experience the impact. We’ve heard stories of lower trading commissions to Wall Street firms; seen buy-side accounts changing the way they compensate sell-side analysts; and caught wind that some of the largest buy-side firms are building out their own corporate access departments.
Many of the MiFID II-related news articles published to date are vague and draw uncertain conclusions about its impact. With that in mind, we want to take this opportunity to outline exactly how we think MiFID II will play out, and provide guidance to senior management to help them thrive under this new world order. Here’s how we see this new regulation snowballing in the coming months.
Making the jump from private to public markets can be an exciting endeavor, but you have to make sure your company is in the right position or you risk damaging your credibility on the Street. So how will you know when you’re ready? We’ve compiled a list of seven red flags to look out for that mean you’re not quite there. Remember, an IPO takes time and it pays to do your due diligence.
While most management teams tend to view investors as strictly institutional — professionals putting capital to work for mutual funds, hedge funds, family offices, asset managers, etc. — “retail investors,” individuals investing their personal capital, are continuing to become a bigger and more influential part of the investor landscape.
This emerging community of investors runs the gamut in terms of profile and motivation. They’re day-traders moving in and out of stocks on an everyday basis, individuals controlling the execution of their retirement funds, households investing for the future, true speculators looking for high-flying returns, and everyday people simply looking to generate extra cash.
