Two US pension funds, the City of Westland Police & Fire Retirement System and the Massachusetts Bricklayers and Masons pension fund have filed a class action lawsuit against Alcon, Novartis and Nestlé, alleging that Novartis’ recent offer for Alcon discriminates …

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The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) has signalled a move into more direct activism after a vote this week (Monday) to remove a cap on the number of shareholder proposals it can issue.

Until now, the $200 billion fund …

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Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the investment arm of the Norwegian central bank and asset manager for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund and the Government Petroleum Insurance Fund managing over NOK1,000bn (£107bn) in equity investments, has filed shareholder proposals at

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Lack of board independence may make UK investment trusts targets for activist shareholders according to Simon Westlake at City of London Investment Group, a big activist investor in emerging market investment trusts. “Some boards have been too much in the …

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The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the UK’s corporate governance regulator, wants to hear from institutional investors in the UK and overseas about its proposals for a new “Stewardship Code” aimed at creating best practice principles for investors when engaging with …

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A shareholder resolution tabled at BP’s AGM calling for more financial, environmental and social information on the implications of extracting oil sands has managed to achieve 6% of votes in favour. Taking abstentions or votes positively witheld, the company was …

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February’s Guest Article is by Louise Rouse, FairPensions’ Director of Investor Engagement and looks at their recent initiative to engage with leading oil producers about their oil sands projects

FairPensions LogoThe 2010 AGM season could herald both a new era of …

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Long-term investors with a focus on overseeing their investments will play a vital role in improving governing practices of companies in which they invest, which can in turn help to avoid future financial crises, according to a new policy brief …

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Shareholder activism in Indian companies is a relative rarity in comparison to what is now considered the norm in developed countries. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the capital market regulator in India, believes its domestic mutual funds …

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Not for the first time, proof of share ownership is being used to stymie shareholder engagement and activism. This time it’s France where Franco-American Financier and Activist Guy Wyser-Pratte is attempting to bring about changes at Lagardère SCA.

With echoes …

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