The role of investment managers is to invest on behalf of savers around the world seeking to deliver long term returns which meet their investment needs. One way they do this is by ensuring that the companies in which they invest in are run to generate long term returns for shareholders and ultimately savers. The investment managers have high expectations of UK listed companies which cover more than just share price performance or dividend yield. Investors now expect companies to be run taking into account a wider range of factors including environmental, social and governance issues.

The publication sets out the expectations of the Investment Association in four areas that its members believe can be critical drivers of long-term value:

• Responding to climate change;
• Audit quality;
• Stakeholder engagement; and
• Diversity.

It outlines why investors consider these four issues to be important areas of focus for companies in 2020 and also sets out their expectations for change in 2020. For companies with year ends on or after 31 December 2029, IVIS, the IA’s Corporate Governance research service, will assess the progress made and highlight where they are not meeting investor expectations.

The full publication is available on the Investment Association website here.