Editor, Author at Minerva-Manifest

Manifest releases 2018 voting policy guidelines

Manifest has released its 2018 voting policy guidelines to clients and announced changes to its research reports to reflect the latest global governance and sustainability developments. AGM reports will now provide more detail on board diversity and pay ratios while …

UK’s Financial Reporting Council: stakeholders call for more transparency

The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published the findings of a survey of its stakeholders in which many call for more transparency in its internal processes and state that its current enforcement activities are too slow.

The FRC said …

New York City takes strong action on climate change

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, has announced that the city has filed a lawsuit against the five largest investor-owned fossil fuel companies as measured by their contributions to global warming.

New York will be seeking damages from BP, …

US investors: Apple should consider effects of products on children

Activist institutional investors, the public pension fund CalSTRS and Jana Partners, have begun a campaign calling on the technology giant, Apple, to consider the evidence that children that are excessively using electronic devices, such as its I-phone, may be …

Global governance round up: South Korea’s president promises reform

In the opening remarks of his New Year press conference South Korea’s President, Moon Jae-in promised to push for corporate governance reform through the introduction of a stewardship code and improvements in shareholders’ voting rights.

He admitted that the …

High Pay Centre’s Fat Cat Day highlights pay gap between UK CEOs and staff

In its annual review of the pay of FTSE 100 chief executives and average UK employees the High Pay Centre, now working with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), found that by 4th January, dubbed Fat Cat …

Four large US asset managers back climate resolutions for the first time

Four of the top ten largest asset managers in the US voted in support of a climate change-related shareholder resolution for the first time ever during 2017 research by Fund Votes for the pressure group, Ceres has found.

The asset …

Petrobras settles securities class action lawsuit led by USS

Brazilian oil and gas company, Petrobras, has signed an agreement to settle a securities class action lawsuit filed in the US in which the lead plaintiff was UK pension fund, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

Under the settlement, Petrobras agreed …

Investor groups repeat call for shareholder committee at RBS

Over 100 shareholders have again requisitioned a resolution calling on the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to establish a shareholder committee in a campaign organised by private investor groups – the UK Individual Shareholders Society (ShareSoc) and the …

FCA: Investigation into Carillion’s announcements begins

Support services company, Carillion, which has been suffering from financial difficulties in recent months, announced that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has notified the company that has commenced an investigation. This is in connection with the timeliness and content …