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to reveal their identities and for regulators to re-examine existing shareholder disclosure rules, that have now been outdated by new derivative investments.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."

100 Women In Hedge Funds Partners With DataArt

100 Women in Hedge Funds announced that they have partnered with DataArt to update and automate their existing email systems, which were no longer capable of efficiently managing communications to the organization’s 6000 global members. The new system optimizes the functionality of existing mailing and communication structures, making the sophisticated workings of the database manageable and user friendly.

Amanda Pullinger, Executive Director of 100 Women in Hedge Funds said, “As 100 Women in Hedge Funds grows, we need to rely more heavily on technology-based solutions for appropriate and efficient communications. Partnering with DataArt to upgrade our email system was the first step to improve targeted communication to our 6,000 members.”

“For a decade, DataArt has been helping leading financial institutions and financial technology firms eliminate technology execution risks and streamline their business communication processes,” said Vica Vinogradova, Vice President of Corporate Communications at DataArt and a member of 100 Women in Hedge Funds. “We are happy to have been of assistance to 100 Women in Hedge Funds in their efforts to strengthen their membership communications infrastructure.”

100 Women in Hedge Funds serves over 6,000 alternative investment management investors and practitioners through unique educational, professional development, networking and philanthropic initiatives. Since its first session in 2002, 100 Women in Hedge Funds has hosted more than 100 events globally, connected more than 150 senior women through their Peer Advisory Councils and raised in excess of $10 million for philanthropic causes in the areas of women's health, education and mentoring.