Capital Markets & Investor Relations Australia

Welcome to the latest edition of Global IR Insights where our Australian team shares intel from our global network in the world of capital markets communication and what it might mean for Australia.

Global fundraising in capital markets shrinks by $900bn in first quarter

Global fundraising in capital markets shriveled by more than $900bn in the first quarter from the same period in 2021 as surging inflation, the war in Ukraine, and volatile asset prices delayed stock listings and hampered bond deals, as reported in the Financial Times.

This theme aligns with what we are seeing in the Australian market, where Australian companies have raised the least amount in equity in six years this last quarter, as businesses avoid volatile markets shaken by war and rising interest rates.?

How are Australia's business leaders building resilience in the era of crises?

The top three concerns for the coming year include cyber-attacks and threats, shortage in workforce and skills and data privacy issues, according to FTI Consulting’s Global Resilience Barometer? 2022, a survey of 3,314 global decision makers (senior management, board member or C-suite) in large companies. Australia specifically stacks up well compared to other countries globally. With the country emerging less scathed from the pandemic than other global economies and the chief concerns of Australia’s business leaders, and the perceived risks to their companies, are shifting.?

Our findings from the FTI Consulting Australian Resilience Barometer? 2022, surveying 120 decision-makers in large companies across Australia, reveal how Australian companies are building resilience as they navigate a succession of crises under increasing public scrutiny, becoming more proactive in their risk preparations in areas such as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), data privacy and regulatory compliance.

And finally … The human touch?

Stakeholders are pushing companies to talk more about issues like employee engagement, health & safety, diversity and equity & inclusion.?

Aside from climate change, the ESG topic that has garnered the most investor attention over the last two years is human capital management (HCM), with investors pushing for additional disclosure and for companies to expand the use of KPIs on the matter, as reported in IR magazine.?

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