Proxy Voting

Intelligent

  • State of the art technology (PostgreSQL)
  • One size fits all
  • White label solutions
  • A+ bank grade cyber security
  • Safe harbour

Integrated

  • Holding feeds for daily reconciliation
  • Voting dashboards to manage your workflows
  • Straight through processing
  • Vote confirmations
  • Comprehensive record keeping and reporting
Informed
  • Global meeting agendas and direct procurment
  • Custom vote recommendations
  • Stock lending support

Physical AGM Vote

  • Covering all German meetings
  • Physically representing investor at General Meeting
  • Directly accessing representative
  • Speaking at AGM
  • Asking questions
  • Engaging with issuer
  • Executing votes upon instruction
  • Full reporting

Ad Hoc Voting

The Issue

The danger of accidental majorities has increased considerably over the last two years.

1. Ad hoc items are filed during the AGM (e.g. special audit) or after cut-off dates

2. Investors cannot react as:

  • No information about amendments of AGM items
  • Vote recommendation based on custom policy is not available
  • Cut off day has passed
  • Voting Platforms do not provide ad hoc voting
  • Standing instructions (e.g. Vote “Against” any special resolution) is not best practice


The Solution

  • Information on Ad Hoc Item on short notice
  • Analysis of ad hoc item based on custom guidelines
  • Vote recommendation
  • Full access in real time to representative
  • Obtaining instructions by investor during the AGM
  • Vote execution
  • Reporting


Advantage

  • Make sure your votes are cast and that your voice is heard
  • Stay informed about upcoming meeting issues
  • Avoid accidental majorities for resolutions not in line with your interests
  • Be in line with your policy
  • Demonstrate responsibility
  • Vote remotely
  • Be able to react on shortest notice
  • Receive a comprehensive report

Engagement

Stewardship describes the responsible allocation of assets and active ownership by the asset manager, with the aim of sustainable, long-term value creation for its customers.

DVFA* Stewardship Guidelines for Asset Managers:

1. Stewardship declaration (mandatory)

2. Continuous monitoring of portfolio companies

3. Constructive dialogue with the portfolio companies

4. Escalation process when a dialogue fails

5. Informed and responsible exercise of voting rights

6. Publication of voting behavior

7. Assessing collective engagements

8. Dealing with conflicts of interest

9. Reporting

* German Association for Financial Analysis and Asset Management

To promote constructive dialogue with portfolio companies

Governance & Values offers:

  • Dialogue in line with DVFA stewardship guidelines
  • Individual or collective
  • Active dialogue with the asset manager
  • Support in the selection of companies to be contacted
  • Planning of engagements
  • Support in the selection of topics to be discussed
  • Organization and support of collective engagements in line with Acting in Concert regulations
  • Environment, Social and Governance

Reporting based on international standards:

  • Number of engagements
  • Types of engagement
  • Main topics
  • Results of engagement activities
  • Quantitative evaluation of the topics discussed

Research

1. Corporate Governance Research

Understanding a company’s corporate governance is essential for its valuation and the basis for a successful long-term investment. Governance & Values builds on a holistic approach that analyzes the entire structure of a company.

  • Detailed analysis of the supervisory board
  • Transparency, sustainability and quantum of the remuneration policy
  • Evaluation of all corporate actions
  • Analysis of all major stakeholders
  • Assessment of sustainability reporting
  • Evaluation of the auditor
  • Quality of the publication- and communication policy
  • Conclusiveness of the risk report

The added value of our corporate governance analyzes is evident:

  • Discover areas for an engagement
  • Comparison of the issuer’s governance with the policies of its main shareholders
  • Forecast of voting results at general meetings
  • Degree of compliance with best practice standards
  • Peer comparisons

2. DVFA Scorecard

A detailed evaluation of a company's governance performance. 

  • Available for DAX 30 and MDAX
  • SDAX - planned for March 2020
  • Based on the German Corporate Governance Code, ICGN guidelines and best practice standards
  • Helps to understand the governance expectations of investment professionals
  • Good governance benchmarking and rating
  • Essential information for engagement discussions
  • Supplementary source of information for proxy voting
For more details please visit the DVFA website.

The entire study can be purchased. If interested, please send an email to: info@dvfa.org