A new era of shareholder activism?

SPECIAL REPORT

Following calls for much greater shareholder engagement, Annabelle Williams looks at the state of active investing in the UK market and whether investors need to press for further action from their fund managers.

Shareholder engagement has come under the spotlight in recent weeks as investors and business leaders have highlighted a lack of active ownership in the UK. Neil Woodford, Invesco Perpetual’s head of UK equities, recently said investors are failing on corporate engagement. “There is not enough engagement, and institutional shareholders do not take enough interest in the strategic direction of a business,” Woodford told the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the Kay Review of UK equity markets and long-term decision making in business. ...