86% of the Global Risk Advisory Council believe reputational risks will increase over the next quarter. The Global Risk Advisory Councilncounts more than 100 members, including the likes of former CIA Director Leon Panetta and MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove as well as former heads of state and CEOs.
There are 45 companies (combined value $10 trillion) on the MAGA anti-DEI hit list.“The worst thing that can happen to a company is: You’re still on that list, but you’ve lost all your good faith and credibility with folks on the other side of these issues.” We call this situation a reputation crisis and a clear need for reputation insurance.
As SEC sees it, we live in a Manichean world where allies are pliant, and anyone who is anything else, is an activist. No more engagement to offer a gentle nudge. “Investors that threaten to vote against directors’ reelection if the company is not aligned with their stewardship policies or views on environmental, social or governance issues will not be considered passive and must instead file a Schedule 13D as activists, according to a new compliance and disclosure interpretation released by the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance this week.
The spreads since inception of RepuSPX, RepuVAR, and RepuVART (Total returns) are 330.46%, 201.48% and 521.11% greater that returns of the S&P500, respectively.
Reputation risk: financial damage from emotional stakeholders who are angered, or worst, feel betrayed. “We laid out the strategic and budget plan for 2025 expecting that American products, including American whiskey, will be less accepted by those countries outside of the US because of first, tariffs and, second, emotion,” said Takeshi Niinami, chief executive of drinks giant Suntory Holdings.
Great companies with the most sophisticated boards will sometimes disappoint stakeholders. In our increasingly chaotic economic and political business environment, some customers, employees, regulators or investors will feel betrayed and act. This class action was filed against Target and thirteen of its Directors. In May 2023, Target faced immense customer backlash to its ambitious LGBT- “Pride Month” marketing and sales campaign, one of its featured ESG/DEI initiatives. […] The Complaint alleges that during the Class Period, Target failed to warn investors of risks associated with its mandates regarding its ESG/DEI initiatives and that this deceit, through misleading statements in the Company’s public filings, caused Target’s investors to purchase Target stock at artificially inflated prices and to unknowingly support Target’s Board and management in their misuse of investor funds to serve political and social goals.
Securities class-action lawsuits increased. There were 225 filings last year, up from 215 in 2023 and 208 in 2022.
The reputation premium-seeking RepuSPX is out-performing the S&P500 Index by 333.42%
Southwest Airlines reputation crisis. AAt crisis day 725, Southwest equity is under performing the S&P500 index by 62% and the US airlines index by 66.9%. Steel City Re’ Resilience Monitor warned that an operational failure was likely to trigger a reputation crisis.
