Disclosure Advisory Board Speaks Out On Hedge Fund Secrecy

In a newly published white paper by the Disclosure Advisory Board, "Shareholder ID: The Resounding Silence of Non-Disclosure," the Board calls for investors to reveal their identities and for regulators to re-examine existing shareholder disclosure rules, that have now been outdated by new derivative investments.

Further, the Board contends that lack of shareholder identity disclosure is negatively affecting the U.S. capital markets by making companies susceptible to the agenda of hedge funds and other short-term holders.

The Disclosure Advisory Board is a 15 person council of leaders in the corporate, regulatory, investor, reporting and academic communities organized by PR Newswire. The white paper, the second in a series from the Disclosure Advisory Board, was published in conjunction with the largest gathering of investor relations professionals at the National Investor Relations Institute's (NIRI) annual conference in Orlando, FL, June 3-6.

"Vibrant equity markets depend on the active participation of investors. However, certain practices in the U.S. send mixed signals and put many investors at a disadvantage," said Mark Hynes, chairman and spokesperson of the Disclosure Advisory Board, and managing director of Global Investor Relations Services for PR Newswire. "Non-disclosure on the part of investors is not just an issue for public companies. It creates a disorderly market for all parties involved.

"Yet it is the company that bears most of the risk. Lack of investor information exposes shares to potential price manipulation from unknown holders with unknown intentions, increasing a company's vulnerability to takeovers and proxy fights. This cloak of investor secrecy also makes companies susceptible to the agenda of hedge funds and other short-term holders who may provoke actions not favorable to longer-term business objectives."

Hynes concluded, "The U.S. shareholder identity problem calls for immediate action. Shareholder non-disclosure is creating a disorderly market in the U.S., making it less attractive than investment venues in other parts of the world. It is time for undisclosed shareholders to break their silence and announce who they are. Collective silence on this matter is no longer an option."