The view of IROs that current changes in roadshow activity are here to stay remains unchanged from last year. Four in five IROs agree that ‘the experience of Covid-19 will lead to a permanent change in roadshow activity’, exactly the same number as agreed with this statement in last year’s report, though the 35 percent who strongly agree this year is down 3 percentage points from 2020.
European IROs most strongly agree with this statement, while more North American IROs are in general agreement. Asian IR professionals are least likely to strongly agree, with 18 percent actively disagreeing that Covid-19 will lead to a permanent change in roadshow activity
Mega-cap IROs are those most likely to agree that we are witnessing a permanent change in roadshow activity, followed by IROs at small-cap firms. Just 6 percent of small and mega-cap IROs disagree with this statement, compared with 13 percent of large-cap IROs and 12 percent of IROs at mid-caps.
The general view among IROs that issue-based roadshows will become more common has hardened in the past year. While our 2020 report shows 64 percent agreeing that ‘issue-focused roadshows (such as ESG) will become more common in the future’, this has risen to three quarters of IROs agreeing this year. More than one in three strongly agrees with this statement, compared with just over one in five in 2020.
There are little regional differences in this view, with slightly fewer North American IROs in agreement than Asian or European counterparts. Large-cap IROs are the most likely to agree with the statement, while small-cap IROs are the most likely to disagree, with just under one in five doing so.
