Hot Issues Archives

Guy Jubb: AGMs have lost their sense of purpose

Ex-Standard Life Investments governance head argues meetings should be complemented by continual dialogue

Guy Jubb, former head of governance at asset management giant Standard Life Investments, claims AGMs have lost their …

BlackRock and Vanguard support human rights proposal

Proposal tabled at Tyson Foods’ AGM following 39 employee deaths from Covid-19

BlackRock and Vanguard have voted in support of a human rights due diligence proposal, tabled at the recent Tyson Foods AGM.

Filed by the American Baptist Home Mission …

M&S takes action on China over human rights

The company will no longer use cotton from China’s Xinjiang region

Marks & Spencer has become the first top-tier UK clothing company to formally announce it will cut all ties with suppliers that are connected to the forced labour of …

DOL throws curveball into its approach to governing shareholder rights

DoL questions purpose of shareholder voting

The US Department of Labor (DoL) has thrown a new curveball into its approach to governing shareholder rights, questioning the need for asset owners to have their voices heard by companies at all.

Following …

China finance forum urges US cooperation

A group of senior Chinese regulatory officials and financial experts is calling on their home nation to co-operate with the US to avoid further escalations of the ongoing trade war.

The China Finance 40 …

SEC ignores investor objections to implement new proxy rules

Despite claims from some of the world’s largest investors that moves to impose new proxy voting regulations would increase costs, the US financial regulator has pressed ahead with a series of …

Senator presses SEC’s Clayton over “Main St” letters report

A US Senator has called on the head of the US financial regulator to provide an update on the status of its reports into “apparently fraudulent comment letters” that showed support for proposed new rules on proxy advice.

In a …

Companies to look at the makeup of their leadership teams in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests

Investors declare “a change is gonna come”

Asset owners and fund management groups are pressuring their portfolio companies to look at the makeup of their leadership teams in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

The under-representation of non-white …

IMF warns equity investors over climate risk

Equity investors will increasingly have to consider the physical impacts of climate change on their portfolios, according to recent guidance from the International Monetary Fund.

In a written update on its website, the …

A new threat to the stewardship?

For some companies, the ability for shareholders to have a voice is a source of constant annoyance.

For proxy voting agents, such as Minerva, understanding the rules of the game and where the lines are drawn is key.

Shareholder rights …