he Singapore Exchange Limited (“SGX”) announced that it would change its reporting regimen to remove the requirement for quarterly earnings reporting to instead only require half-yearly reporting. The change provides for risk-based exceptions, which require certain companies to continue quarterly earnings reports if: A company received a disclaimer, adverse or qualified opinion from its auditor…
Category: international corporate governance
Women on Boards: Hitting an Ambitious Goal in the UK| Korn Ferry
It was an ambitious goal when it was set in 2010: triple the percentage of female board directors on corporate boards by 2020. But as this new year dawned, more than three out of every ten directors—30.6%, to be exact—at the 250 largest publicly traded firms in the UK are women. The goal now? Keep…
Board of tech group Inex to step down amid governance row
Big corporations are in favor of activism and engagement when they are investors. The entire board of tech group Inex will step down following pressure from some of its leading members, including Google and BT Ireland, arising from a corporate governance row. In an email to members shortly before Christmas, the company confirmed that three…
Asia-Pacific investors more open to ESG investing | The Asset ESG Forum – Environmental, Social & Governance
ESG consideration is gaining more acceptance from investors across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, according to the APAC results released by Franklin Templeton of a comprehensive global study on ESG adoption, implementation and development across institutional and wholesale asset owners globally. The study was conducted by NMG Consulting. ESG considerations gain acceptance Results show investor predisposition…
UK Labour Proposal: Climate change: Firms failing to tackle crisis will be delisted from stock exchange
Companies that fail to act on the climate change they cause will be axed from the stock exchange, under radical Labour plans. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, pledged his government would ensure firms are “pulling their weight” to tackle the “existential threat” to the planet. And he warned: “For those companies not taking adequate steps…
Dual share structures could erode accountability at the top | Financial Times
George Dallas writes about the possibility of loosening restrictions on dual class stock in the UK. We only disagree with one point — he says it is “ironic” that this is being considered just after the adoption of the robust new UK stewardship code that is the new standard other jurisdictions should aspire to. It…
Stewardship moves beyond box ticking | Minerva-Manifest
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published a new UK Stewardship Code which is due to come into effect on 1 January 2020. The revised Code has set a higher standard for how money is invested on behalf of UK savers and pensioners that the FRC said reflects “the changing expectations of investors and the…
Japan’s Foreign-Investor Screening Risks Undoing Years of Reform – WSJ
The Japanese government’s proposals to tighten screening of foreign investors may keep the country a little safer—at the cost of undoing several years of hard work in improving the investment climate. If proposals published by the Ministry of Finance this week take effect, foreign shareholders would have to inform regulators when their stake in certain…
Shareholder Rights Directive II fact sheet – GOV.UK
New guidelines for UK fund managers: Occupational pension schemes are required to document and disclose online their policy on engaging with investee companies, their investment strategy and their arrangements with asset managers. The Pensions Regulator will update their guidance with regards to engagement, investment strategy and asset manager arrangements. Trustees have an important role to…
Labour vows to hold public inquiry into UK financial sector | Financial Times
An incoming Labour government would launch a public inquiry into Britain’s financial industry to “reveal and root out corruption”, under a plan being drawn up by shadow chancellor John McDonnell. He wants to hold a 12-month public inquiry, set up under the 2005 Inquiries Act, to take evidence under oath into misconduct in the financial…
