Fundamentally, the management of expectations is crucial to investor sentiment, and the mantra of “never under-delivering” is an approach to which  we firmly subscribe in determining client investor relations strategies. We also ensure that investor messages and initiatives are closely aligned with financial media relations at all times.

Investor communications is becoming increasingly challenging, monitoring the shareholdings of investors around the world, assessing their investment rationales and the “buy” and “sell” dynamics that they are responding to, from company financial performance to global market, economic and commodity trends.

Indeed, as a result of the “credit crunch” and consequent global financial crisis, there are many new investor relations challenges to be met. Our emphasis in these circumstances is therefore even more than ever on helping clients to manage expectations through continuing to present clear, consistent investment cases to investors and analysts on a regular basis. We assist in coordinating results briefings, analyst seminars and conference calls. We also track analyst sentiment in detail and provide market intelligence which helps clients to be aware of market issues arising.

Merlin is also often responsible for the long term coordination of broader “sell side” analyst contact programmes which for any public company are an essential aspect of managing the perceptions and expectations of the investment community.