Capital Market

Building trust in investors and the capital market

Investment decisions do not depend solely on a company’s financial figures and strategies – they increasingly rely on the the way it is seen by society at large. The rating of a company on the capital market and access to it are subject to tremendous volatility. In both cases, the economic strength of the company as well as social and political factors play a decisive role.

In order to achieve growth and be successful over the long term, companies must adapt to these dynamic changes and anticipate economic, political and social trends.

Capital market communications play a key role in this. Market players and investors need to feel fully convinced of the long-term benefits of acquisitions and mergers as well as capital measures and IPOs. The same also applies for the employees and business partners of the company as well as to policy-makers and the public. This is the only way to ensure confidence in the actions the company takes and to secure its reputation, a factor that is becoming increasingly important in terms of corporate ratings.

And this is where we come in. Our experienced consultants assist our clients with communications and strategy in the challenging and mission-critical capital market environment. In order to create the best possible solution for our clients in this interplay between economic, political, societal and media factors, we pull together tailored teams from our pool of experts based on the task at hand.

Photo: iStock.com/Nikolay Pandev

Contact:

Volker Heck — Volker Heck
Senior Partner

Capital measures & transactions

Capital measures and transactions usually involve exceptional situations in which – especially in cases of major capital measures as well as IPOs and transnational M&As – the attention of the financial community is strongly focussed on the communications activities of the company. But capital increases or decreases also require transparent and clear communications that address other stakeholders such as customers, employees or policy-makers.

We develop tailored communications strategies and target-group-specific measures for a wide range of transactions.

Our range of services includes:

IPO and IBO communications
(Distressed) M&A communications
Alternative deals (JVs, alliances)
Communications for capital increases, decreases, cuts etc.
Crisis communications

Corporate & equity stories

The story of a company must be consistent and at the same time told in such a way that it gets through to the different stakeholders. This applies to corporate stories that are geared to all target groups, as well as to equity stories that are tailored to investors and the capital market, explaining why it is worth investing in a certain company. The equity story lays out the company’s strategy, competitive positioning, vision and unique selling propositions as well as its development potential and the management qualities of its executive board. This is interesting both for investors and shareholders as well as the financial media and analysts.

We develop a tailored story for our clients so that they can clearly position themselves on the market and increase the company’s value.

Our range of services includes:

Preparation of the corporate and equity story
Formulation of investment highlights and key facts
Conceptualisation of company presentation

Defensive communications & special situations

Companies can be quick to find themselves on the defensive, for example due to the emergence of shareholder activists. No matter what strategy the activists pursue – both they and the company need to engage in strong communications. The same goes for legal disputes: Depending on the scope of the accusation and the participation of prominent players, court proceedings attract a lot of media attention and are observed by the public with a critical eye.

We support companies in the area of shareholder activism, in litigation PR, in fending off hostile takeover bids, in alleged misconduct of management or in product issues such as recall campaigns. We are there for our clients in such cases, both in the run-up as well as in a responsive role in crisis situations.

As soon as it becomes clear that a situation is likely which could have a negative impact on the reputation of a company, it can create an action and escalation plan for communications in advance, anticipating potential scenarios so that they can react quickly if the situation becomes serious. Continuous and transparent communications with all stakeholders can also have a preventive effect.

Our range of services includes:

Litigation PR
Responsive communications
Crisis communications
Governance and compliance consulting
Strategic media work
Coaching and media training
Press and social media monitoring

Financial media work

Even in times of increasing digitalisation, media work is still highly relevant for companies, especially when it comes to reputation management. The media continue to have an essential multiplier effect when it comes to communicating a company’s strategy and key messages. Transparent corporate communications are becoming increasingly important. Financial media work is therefore considered part of strategy communications, transaction communications as well as active investor relations work.

We have long-standing relationships with financial journalists and editorial professionals and help our clients position their company and executive board or experts in the relevant media. In addition, in training courses and individual briefing sessions, we prepare corporate spokespersons to interact with the media.

Our range of services includes:

Agenda setting and storytelling
Coordination of interviews and background discussions
Press releases, conferences and events
Media training and preparation of speakers
Editorial work and media planning

Investor relations

The area of investor relations comprises all communications with the financial community, i.e. investors. shareholders, analysts and (financial) journalists. Besides the complex mandatory publications pursuant to the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) and MAR, this primarily includes financial reporting. Regular and transparent communications about all relevant events are important in IR, regardless of whether these are positive or negative. Because this can minimise price volatilities and ultimately increase the stock market value of a company.

The annual report continues to be the yearly showcase in financial reporting. In addition to the numbers and a clear presentation of the business performance of the company in the past fiscal year, it should also contain current key messages and investment highlights.

We support our clients in all areas of investor relations. Companies can outsource their entire IR or financial reporting activities to us if they so wish.

Our range of services includes:

Responsive communications pursuant to WpHG and MAR
Outsourced IR department
Financial reporting (concept, design and project management)
Consulting for Annual General Meetings and capital market events
Shareholder targeting