An obvious requirement for success in corporate elections is knowing who has a record date position and is therefore entitled to vote. While public filings may provide a general snapshot of shareholder composition, the data is often stale and incomplete. As a result, an active stock surveillance program provides meaningful insight into a company’s current shareholder base - including position sizes, trading history, short interest, and derivative trading/hedging activity.

This insight can be critical in an M&A transaction when traditional investors often sell out on deal announcement and event-driven merger arbitrage funds build positions. It can also provide an early warning signal on the potential emergence of activist shareholders enabling critical maneuvering before a proxy fight is waged.

Furthermore, understanding shifts in shareholder composition helps guide engagement and aids in the assessment of likely support for various proposals.

CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT’s Stock Surveillance service helps clients track changes in shareholder composition and our and Shareholder Identification capabilities identify current voting in the event further engagement is necessary to flip unsupportive shareholders.