- Shareholder Proposals reflect ongoing requests for in-person meetings, climate, alongside regulatory changes related to modern slavery and artificial intelligence.
- Voluntary Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standards are now in effect. The CSSB issued CSDS 1 and CSDS 2, effective for annual reporting periods starting January 1, 2025.
- Executive Compensation shows increasing adoption, with fewer management say-on-pay proposals receiving below 80 percent support. E&S performance metrics are most prevalent in Composite Index short-term incentive programs.
- Activism increased year-over-year, with almost double the contests concluding in a shareholder vote (seven in 2023, four in 2022). Unclear if this trend will continue for 2025.
- M&A rose in 2024 across most sectors compared to 2023, with early 2025 showing a significant increase in market activity during the first six weeks compared to the previous year. However, as economic uncertainties persist, their impact on deal-making in the short- and long-term remains unclear.
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Authored By
Karl Bossi, Jessica Wang, Nicholas Stiege, John Vizikas, Shekinah Glory Solomon
