In ‘The Hangover’ (2009), a group of friends wakes up in a Las Vegas suite with no memory of the previous night – only to discover a roaring jungle cat in the bathroom.
Waking up in 2025 feels eerily similar—except this time, there is more than one wild feline to deal with when considering macroeconomic, microeconomic, political, geopolitical, and technological trends.
Rather than identifying each challenge individually, I thought it would be beneficial to present questions investors may ask in the coming months. They would be relevant to the preparation for earning calls or M&A/IPO due diligence processes.
What is your macro outlook for 2025 across regions and its implications for your business?
Specifically, what is your latest take on macro and micro (overcapacity) trends in China?
How has your market share evolved in 2024—where have you gained or lost ground?
What key competitive advantages will drive market share performance in 2025?
Can you comment on the evolution of your pricing power across product/service categories?
What recent tools have you acquired or developed to refine pricing strategies in this environment?
How do you plan to increase your exposure to the generational transformation of the global economy (electrification, digitization, decarbonization, resource efficiency)?
By how much have you been increasing R&D to invest in new, higher-growth products/services?
How are you investing in young technologies, and what is your corporate venture capital strategy?
How are you embedding artificial intelligence into your operations with tools such as M365 Copilot or competing products?
How are you tracking your return on AI investment?
What opportunities would the eventual rebuilding of Ukraine present for your company?
How do you prepare for potential tariff escalations and their impact on your business (costs, sales)?
What are the biggest industrial policy/regulatory risks and opportunities for your industry?
What is your strategy for engaging policymakers and regulatory bodies on key industry issues?
Where could new immigration regulations materially impact your cost structure and talent strategy?
What does M&A buy-side economics look like at present?
What are your latest financial acquisition criteria noting the rise of the cost of capital since 2020?
How vast are the consolidation opportunities in the US?
What are your top 3 sustainability drivers, and how do you assess your performance against them?
Which parts of your business are exposed to water scarcity?
What level of ESG backlash, if any, is reflected in recent stakeholder feedback?
How exposed are you to business disruptions related to climate-change-related physical risks?
Have you progressed in translating sustainability risks and opportunities into future cash flows?
How are you monitoring your social media profile, and are you ready to manage political attacks?
From an investor relations perspective, proactively addressing relevant investor questions serves three purposes: (i) it directs investors’ attention to the most relevant issues, away from distractions; (ii) it helps maintain control over the corporate narrative; and (iii) it indirectly pushes competitors to address the same issues (through investors cross-readings and Q&As), which may reveal their relative shortcomings.
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