Posted on March 14th, 2018. Posted by Asher Dewhurst
Over the past few months, much has been made of the new MiFID II regulation and the impact it will have on Wall Street, and ultimately, public companies. While it has been in effect since the beginning of the year, we’ve only just begun to experience the impact. We’ve heard stories of lower trading commissions to Wall Street firms; seen buy-side accounts changing the way they compensate sell-side analysts; and caught wind that some of the largest buy-side firms are building out their own corporate access departments.
Many of the MiFID II-related news articles published to date are vague and draw uncertain conclusions about its impact. With that in mind, we want to take this opportunity to outline exactly how we think MiFID II will play out, and provide guidance to senior management to help them thrive under this new world order. Here’s how we see this new regulation snowballing in the coming months.
Continue Reading
Posted on February 21st, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
Making the jump from private to public markets can be an exciting endeavor, but you have to make sure your company is in the right position or you risk damaging your credibility on the Street. So how will you know when you’re ready? We’ve compiled a list of seven red flags to look out for that mean you’re not quite there. Remember, an IPO takes time and it pays to do your due diligence.
Continue Reading
Posted on February 14th, 2018. Posted by Mike Vallie
While most management teams tend to view investors as strictly institutional — professionals putting capital to work for mutual funds, hedge funds, family offices, asset managers, etc. — “retail investors,” individuals investing their personal capital, are continuing to become a bigger and more influential part of the investor landscape.
This emerging community of investors runs the gamut in terms of profile and motivation. They’re day-traders moving in and out of stocks on an everyday basis, individuals controlling the execution of their retirement funds, households investing for the future, true speculators looking for high-flying returns, and everyday people simply looking to generate extra cash.
Continue Reading
Posted on February 7th, 2018. Posted by Mike Piccinino, CFA
Medical meetings allow analysts and investors to explore an array of public and private healthcare companies in one place and gain deeper insight into the industry’s competitive dynamics as they meet with management teams and learn about new products and strategies.
These and other industry events play an important role in enhancing Wall Street professionals’ understanding of the quickly changing healthcare landscape – helping them reinforce and update their investment ideas, conduct due diligence, evaluate new prospects, and spot emerging competitive threats.
Continue Reading
Posted on January 30th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
As head of business development for Westwicke, I always look forward to a jam-packed, action-filled week of conversations. This year did not disappoint.
With almost 50 meetings scheduled, I had the pleasure of meeting with many compelling private and public healthcare companies. And there was no shortage of innovation, grit, and creativity this year. I found many management teams determined to advance their science, technology, and businesses in 2018.
Continue Reading
Posted on January 17th, 2018. Posted by Caroline Corner
For public and mature private companies in need of financing, finding the right investment bank is a vital early step. Choose wrong, and your deal could sour, or you could wind up accepting an unfavorable valuation. But the right banker will guide you through your IPO, follow-on investment, or other financing deal while maintaining a long-term relationship with you that could bear fruit for years to come.
So what should you be looking for? For each investment bank you consider, you’ll want to look hard at three things above all: the quality of each firm’s banking team itself, the credibility of its research team, and the relationships that you can forge with its people, as well as their own relationships with the Street.
Continue Reading
Posted on January 5th, 2018. Posted by ICR Westwicke
The last thing any company wants is disappointing news. But it’s more than likely that your company will experience a bump in the road from time to time. Don’t let the prospect of delivering bad news rattle you. Even the best managed companies can experience a “miss.”
How you communicate that miss can have a lasting impact. Thorough preparation and a well thought out action plan is the best way to ensure things go smoothly. I asked a few of my colleagues to share their advice for the best way to deliver bad news. Here’s what they said:
Continue Reading
Posted on December 21st, 2017. Posted by Mike Piccinino, CFA
While it seems as though legislative uncertainty is increasingly an issue that the investment community needs to deal with on a year-round basis, at this time of year, many public companies in the healthcare sector are navigating the challenges of a “legislative overhang.”
With tax reform a key focus of President Trump’s legislative agenda, investors are keenly focused on how potential changes in healthcare policy may affect public companies’ growth and profitability profiles going forward. As always, heightened focus from investors means more questions for executive management teams; with legislative uncertainty however, there are no clean answers to these questions. So, what should you do?
Continue Reading
Posted on December 14th, 2017. Posted by ICR Westwicke
Shareholders, investors, and analysts all have a unique set expectations and a well-thought-out investor relations strategy can help you balance these demands. Executing a successful strategy is essential to your company’s appeal and can help build credibility with Wall Street. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 things you can do to drive your investor relations strategy and keep investors engaged in your company’s story.
Continue Reading
Posted on December 6th, 2017. Posted by ICR Westwicke
One of the perennial issues during earnings season is setting a date for your quarterly financial release that doesn’t clash with a dozen or so of your peers. By choosing a date that’s too crowded, investor and analyst participation may be low. The same problem can happen when choosing a date for an R&D day or investor day. So how do you go about choosing a date for your event that doesn’t clash with everyone else’s?
The answer is you don’t. Or rather, you shouldn’t waste your time thinking too much about it. First, I’ll talk a little about why you shouldn’t overthink the matter, then I’ll address what you can do to combat low live participation on your call or at your event.
Continue Reading
