Looking Ahead: Navigating the “Wild West” of Guidance

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 | 3:30PM - 4:20PM | Room:  |   Concurrent Session

In 2018, NIRI updated its policy to encourage companies to focus their guidance on their long-term strategy and business value drivers. But the types of metrics to include in guidance projections remains largely unregulated, with minimal direction or guidelines. And practices vary widely – even among companies in the same industry.  As more and more companies switch from quarterly to annual guidance, how should IR professionals decide which metrics to report versus their peers? How frequently should they guide, and when is an update warranted? More importantly, how does Wall Street interpret guidance metrics and other contextual factors in their decision-making?

In this panel discussion, audience members will hear from both buy- and sell-side analysts and other industry experts on their approach to analyzing guidance metrics and how disclosure can lead to a more accurate valuation. Join us as we examine three real-life examples of earnings press releases for best practices and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives:
  • Hear where companies can go wrong when it comes to reporting guidance and the factors you should consider when formulating your guidance practices
  • Understand how sell-side analysts determine their estimates, and how buy-side investors make their investment decisions
  • Learn how to optimize the metrics disclosed in earnings materials to enhance the valuation of your company’s stock