Who buys microcap companies? More investors than most companies think. It is an amorphous and elusive audience, but one also filled with fundamental investors looking to outperform the averages by capitalizing on an inefficient sector. At IMS, we live and breathe among this group.

Quality of management is a key investment consideration for many funds. So when the CEO of a public company changes, it is a big deal. Rumors will swirl, and Wall Street will crave to know what this change means for the strategy of the business. A thoughtful investor relations plan from announcement through the transition will let the new CEO establish credibility, lock in current shareholders and attract new investors.

Some investor relations issues to keep in mind:

Hosting an Investor Day is a rite of passage for many public companies. As microcap companies approach or cross the threshold to small cap status, the Investor Day is an investor relations tool that management teams may utilize to constructively engage with investors. At IMS, we have hosted several successful Investor Days with our clients. Each Company is different so there is no “set” formula for success, but below are some helpful points to keep in mind:

Developing a presentation that provides a compelling investment thesis is an integral part of best-practice investor relations. The presentation is of course essential for conferences and investor meetings, but companies often underutilize it outside of investor interactions. Here are some ideas on how to fully realize the marketing value of the investor presentation:

As the connected world places more demands on our time and attention, it is a formidable job to deliver an investor presentation that fully engages the audience. Most presentations are not up to the task, with investors in the room quickly hunched over and glued to their phones. At times it seems that the formal group presentation has become the break room for investors to relax and check email between their one-on-one meetings.

To have investors glued to you, not their phones, ensure your presentation includes these three attributes:

Seeking Alpha has a large readership and growing influence in today’s online financial landscape. A look into who drives the content behind it and what’s important to know when looking out for your company:

IMS recently conducted an investor relations trend study, compiling survey statistics from reports on investor consumption and preference and use of social media for IR. Key findings from the study, along with IMS recommendations, can be found below:

IMS found the below article, authored by Adam Epstein of Third Creak Advisors, LLC. and published at Microcapclub.com, to be an insightful commentary on factors that influence an investor’s perception of a public company at an introductory meeting.

IMS recently conducted a benchmarking study which evaluates the percentage of institutional ownership across various market cap levels, ranging from $25 million to $2 billion.

Warren Buffet has stated that he seeks “economic castles protected by unbreachable ‘moats.’”  The principles of Buffet’s thinking increasingly guide many investors, both big and small.  Investors look for “good businesses” that are inherently good stocks.  Morningstar has even created an Index applying the five principles of Buffet’s “wide moat” theory.  Not surprisingly, it has significantly outperformed its comparable indexes.