NEW YORK, LONDON, February  10, 2022 – A new whitepaper focused on the growth of retail investment in Europe, and the corresponding need for financial intermediaries to reappraise how they service the increased corporate governance requirements of the retail investor, was released today by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) global Fintech leader.

The whitepaper, titled The Rise of the Retail Investor, assesses the European regulatory agenda and the continued roll-out of the Capital Markets Union that reinforces the objective for a more engaged and empowered retail investor community. It highlights specific regulatory drivers, such as the Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD II), that mandated financial intermediaries - including banks, brokers and wealth managers - to provide voting solutions to their underlying retail investors for the first time. It explores how these retail investors, together with social media, can potentially influence meeting outcomes around topical issues like director remuneration, climate change and the ESG policies adopted by issuers and asset managers.

“Some of the world’s leading banks and brokers have recognised the importance of regulatory and social change impacting their business and many have stepped up their investor communications product offerings, with the most advanced now looking at ways to incorporate ESG sentiment from their mutual fund holders,” said Demi Derem, General Manager, International Bank Broker-Dealer Communication Solutions at Broadridge. “We have witnessed a strong demand for our ESG-focused retail voting solutions and this whitepaper highlights how the industry is managing the implementation of the rising standards in corporate governance communications. The whitepaper also examines how some firms are looking over the industry horizon, to build brand reputation and trust, while leveraging Fintech innovation to achieve best-in-class compliance and strengthen their core service propositions against their peers.”

To read the whitepaper, click here.