DATE PUBLISHED: MARCH 31, 2020
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, securities regulators in several countries have published guidance that affords publicly listed companies greater flexibility regarding the type of annual general meeting (AGM) they can hold as well as when it can be held.
As of March 31, the total number of meetings postponed or cancelled globally because of COVID-19 was approximately 557 while the number of meetings that will be virtual-only or proxy-only stood at 560. By comparison, that number stood at 286 for all of calendar 2019. These figures, as tracked by ISS and as illustrated below, are changing by the day as the pandemic is pushing into the traditional AGM season for many markets in the northern hemisphere.
