Shareholders' Rights & Shareholder Activism 2025

Shareholders' Rights and Shareholder Activism 2025: A Global Overview

Shareholder activism – whereby shareholders seek to exercise their rights to exert influence on a company or its management with the purpose of instigating change – remains a fixture of global capital markets. In recent years, activists have increasingly positioned themselves as champions of shareholder value, holding management and boards accountable for their performance. Investors are demanding higher standards of directors and are quick to act where those demands are not met. Activist shareholders continue to be vocal on a broad range of topics ranging from board composition and M&A to environmental, social and governance concerns and executive remuneration. Although some companies are more likely than others to be targets, it has become increasingly evident that no company is immune from the threat posed by an activist campaign.