UK continues to lead way on governance amid increasing investor pressure

Growing trend of investors holding companies to account

UK companies continue to lead the way on governance standards globally, despite an uptick in shareholder rebellions in 2019 as investors continue to ramp up pressure on investee firms, data suggests.

Investment Association data released last week (20 February) revealed 158 FTSE companies had been added to its public register, which tracks any vote of more than 20% against a resolution, up from 120 in the previous year. The IA said this reflects a growing trend of UK investors "holding companies to account", with executive pay and director re-election continuing to top the list of concerns driving shareholder rebellions. There is growing evidence that the rise in governance-related rebellions is already forcing change, with an increase in the number of companies altering policies o...