The Use of Social Media by European Investment Professionals

Transcription

1 Social Media Survey 2015_ The Use of Social Media by European Investment Professionals 2015 Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset Management

2 Survey Background DVFA Society of Investment Professionals in Germany and IR Club The Investor Relations Community invited European* investment professionals to take part in an online survey running from 16 July to 31 August respondents finished the complete survey with 16 questions. UK; 10% Country split of the respondents: Switzerland; 9% Austria; 4% Benelux; 4% France; 2% Scandinavia; 2% Germany; 65% Other/unidentified; 4% *= investment professionals in the following countries were invited: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom 2

3 1. Statistic Data: I am... Most respondents are analysts (35%), followed by a group with mixed functions (34%) and investors (31%). Institutional Investor/Asset Manager; 28% Equity Sell Side Analyst; 21% Equity Buy Side Analyst; 10% ECM/Corporate Finance/Investment Banking Expert; 9% Bond Analyst; 4% Asset Owner/Pensionfund Manager; 3% Others*; 25% *= Academic, Asset Consultant, Banker in Structured Credit, Buyside PM, Designated Sponsor, Equity sales, IRO, National Banking Authority, Private Investor, Rating Advisor, Risk Manager, Senior Banker, SRI Analyst, Trader rounding differences may occur 3

4 2. Do you read postings on the following for company or business information? 50% see Social Media as at least partly important, but all other sources are seen as more important. Business media (nat'l, int'l, trade press) - in print Business media (nat'l, int'l, trade press) - online Social Media (blogs, message boards, socialnetworking sites) Analyst research Real time subscription information services Primary market research Information direct from companies 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% very important important rather important partly important not that important not important at all don't know 4

5 3. Which information sources have become more important to you in your job over the past years? For 57% company websites became more important information sources, social media for 28%. Real time subscription services 44% Traditional business media in print 15% Traditional business media online 69% Company websites 57% Social networking sites & blogs 28% 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 5

6 Comparison 2011, 2013 and 2015: Which information sources have become more important to you in your job over the past years? Real time subscription services 48% 44% 55% Traditional business media in print 18% 16% 15% Traditional business media online 57% 71% 69% Company websites 61% 57% Social networking sites & blogs 31% 28% 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 6

7 4. Please rate the following information sources according to whether they provide information which is useful for your investment decisions or recommendations. 78% see company websites at least as important, blogs and social media are seen as less important. Blogs Social networking sites Message boards Company websites 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% very important important rather important partly important not that important not important at all don't know 7

8 5. Do you post business or investment information in any of the following ways? If investment professionals write posts they prefer social media, but they normally don t write posts. 90% 88% 81% 84% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 10% 10% 17% 2% 2% 12% 4% 0% Blogs Social networking sites Message boards Yes No Don't know 8

9 6. Have you ever read any information posted on a blog or social networking site that has prompted you to investigate an issue further for your work? 43% of the respondents were prompted by blogs to make further investigations on an issue. 70% 60% 56% 61% 61% 50% 40% 43% 38% 31% 30% 10% 0% 1% 1% Blogs Social networking sites Message boards 7% rounding differences may occur Yes No Don't know 9

10 7. How do you consider the importance of information posted on social media in relation to other information sources (e.g. press releases, presentations etc.)? 68% consider the importance of traditional sources higher than the importance of social media. 68% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 25% 7% 10% 0% Lower importance Higher importance Same importance 10

11 Comparison 2011, 2013 and 2015: How do you consider the importance of information posted on social media in relation to other information sources (e.g. press releases, presentations etc.)? 90% 86% 80% 70% 72% 68% 60% 50% 40% 30% 21% 25% 10% 3% 7% 7% 12% 0% Lower importance Higher importance Same importance

12 8. Which of the following social media platforms do you use (for professional reasons)? 56% of the respondents use the business network platforms Xing and LinkedIn, 18% none of the mentioned. Xing LinkedIn 56% 56% YouTube Twitter Facebook 21% 22% 25% Google+ 14% SlideShare Other 7% 7% FlickR 2% None of the above 18% 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 12

13 Comparison 2011, 2013 and 2015: Which of the following social media platforms do you use (for professional reasons)? Xing 49% 53% 56% LinkedIn 31% 43% 56% YouTube 19% 18% 25% Twitter 14% 16% 22% Facebook Google+ SlideShare 4% 7% 12% 16% 13% 14% 11% 21% Other 4% 3% 7% FlickR 3% 1% 2% None of the above 18% 23% 34% 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 13

14 9. On which of the following social media platforms would you like companies to communicate through? The majority of the respondents (52%) does not expect companies to communicate through social media. LinkedIn 29% Xing Twitter YouTube Facebook 24% 21% 19% 17% Google+ 8% SlideShare 5% FlickR Other 2% 3% None of the above 52% 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 60% 14

15 10. What types or items of company communication should be offered on social media platforms? 62% of the respondents see social media as channels for information distribution and dialogue. Information (such as IR news, voting rights notifications, consensus, events, market environment) 47% Dialogue with the company 36% Dialogue with other shareholders or analysts 29% Dialogue with the CEO/CFO 26% Other 2% None of the above 38% 0% 10% 30% 40% 50% 15

16 11. If companies (CEOs, CFOs, IROs) were to use social media platforms to engage with the investment community, how likely would you use these channels? For a majority (61%) the use of social media could be triggered if companies use it to engage. 45% 40% 35% 41% 39% 30% 25% 15% 10% 5% 0% Very likely Likely Unlikely 16

17 Comparison 2011, 2013 and 2015: If companies (CEOs, CFOs, IROs) were to use social media platforms to engage with the investment community, how likely would you use these channels? 50% 45% 40% 37% 38% 41% 49% 42% 39% 35% 30% % 15% 14% % 5% 0% Very likely Likely Unlikely 17

18 12. Do you think that New Media such as blogs and social networking sites will play an increasingly important role in investment decisions in the future? 69% of the respondents see the importance of social media for investment decisions to increase. 60% 51% 50% 40% 30% 18% 27% 10% 4% 0% Yes, definitely Yes, probably No, probably not No, definitely not 18

19 Comparison 2011, 2013 and 2015: Do you think that New Media such as blogs and social networking sites will play an increasingly important role in investment decisions in the future? 60% 51% 50% 45% 40% 40% 40% 30% 10% 8% 13% 18% 34% 27% 12% 6% 4% % Yes, definitely Yes, probably No, probably not No, definitely not 19

20 13. What are reasons why you have not used information from a social networking site in your job in the past year or so? 49% of the respondents are sceptical about the relevance of the information on social media platforms. Lack of relevance of information 49% Information not reliable 46% Do not find information valuable 37% I do have sufficient information on hand 37% Haven't signed up to social networking sites yet 25% Company doesn't allow access to networking site 22% 0% 5% 10% 15% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 20

21 14. What hardware do you use? Smartphones are the preferred hardware solutions (82%), 54% use an iphone as smartphone. Which Smartphone technology? Smartphone 82% 60% 54% 50% Desktop 74% 40% 30% Notebook 62% 16% 21% Tablet 51% 10% 9% 0% 50% 100% 0% Android Blackberry iphone other rounding differences may occur 21

22 15. What is your most frequently used communications medium? If the respondents don t meet in person, they prefer the dialogue via (73%). 80% 73% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 21% 10% 4% 2% 0% Phone Instant messenger Social Media 22

23 Comparison 2011, 2013 and 2015: What is your most frequently used communications medium? 90% 80% 70% 60% 79% 84% 73% 50% 40% % 10% 0% 21% 21% 11% 3% 4% 2% 2% 0% 0% Phone Instant messenger Social Media 23

24 16. How much time do you spend in the world wide web and in social media channels per day? 55% of the respondents spend more than 1 hour in the www and in social media per day. 35% 30% 29% 34% 25% 21% 15% 14% 10% 5% 2% 0% 0 < 30 minutes minutes 1-2 hours > 2 hours 24

25 Executive Summary Most of the trends from the two previous surveys are confirmed, the adaption of social media is slowly but steadily. The majority of the respondents is still sceptical about the relevance of the information on social media platforms, but nevertheless they expect the importance of social media to increase (69%). The importance of companies websites is still increasing (57%). LinkedIn and Xing are the favoured social networking sites, especially for the maintenance of contacts. A majority (61%) would follow if companies start to use social media to engage with the investment community, even if 52% don t expect companies to do so. Smartphones are widely used and for mobile purposes the iphone dominates. If the respondents don t meet in person, they prefer the dialogue via (73%); 84% spend more than 30 minutes per day in the www and in social media channels. 25

26 Contact Patrick Kiss IR Club Op n Schierenholt 9c Hamburg Fon: +49 (0) mail@irclub.de Ralf Frank DVFA GmbH Mainzer Landstraße 47a Frankfurt am Main Fon: +49 (0) ralf.frank@dvfa.de 26