Policy on Communication with Shareholders and Investors
Our Investors Relationship (IR) information disclosure policy requires the timely, proactive, and continuous disclosure of information that is both transparent and impartial in compliance with rules governing disclosure. Although information such as the value of our pipeline (the new products under development) is difficult to quantify, we strive to facilitate shareholders’ and investors’ understanding by proactively disclosing IR information.
With the aim of achieving interactive communication, we are working to increase opportunities to provide IR information and enhance its content while grasping the needs of our shareholders and investors through interviews and questionnaires, rather than by providing information unilaterally.
For example, in response to the need to secure sufficient time to exercise voting rights, we send out a convocation notice of the general meetings of shareholders and post it on our website as early as possible. Furthermore, in response to the requests of shareholders who find it difficult to participate from distant locations, we offer live streaming of the meetings.
Deepening mutual understanding with our shareholders and investors through a sound exchange of views is essential for improving our corporate value. Going forward, we will strive to communicate proactively according to our IR activity policy.
Proactive IR Activities
We held briefing sessions by management for our 5-year business plan (FY2021-FY2025), presented quarterly financial results and conducted an R&D Day (R&D briefing). Furthermore, we also held briefing sessions (including briefing sessions based on requests from securities companies) focusing on key highlights of the data for our pipeline projects presented at major medical congresses for institutional investors immediately after the presentations. In FY2021, we set up approximately 220 opportunities for dialogue with institutional investors in Japan and overseas through participation in conferences sponsored by securities companies, individual meetings, etc. in addition to regular IR coverage.
We have limited our face-to-face briefing sessions, etc. in order to prevent the spread of infections. However, we continue to enhance communication beyond location constraints by utilizing virtual technologies. In FY2021, we live-streamed the general meeting of shareholders, in addition to the virtual briefing sessions for our shareholders and individual investors by the CEO, which were well received by the shareholders and investors who previously were unable to participate in the event.
ESG Dialogue with Investors
Since Japan’s GPIF*1 signed its PRI*2 in September 2015, the term ESG has gained recognition in Japan.
Besides existing communications centered on financial information, we have also seen more opportunities to enter into a dialogues on governance, access to healthcare, and environmental issues, when meeting with institutional investors. We are therefore committed to non-financial disclosure that leads to constructive dialogue.
In November 2021, we held our first ESG presentation online. The CEO and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors gave a presentation on the status of our ESG initiatives to 57 participants, including institutional investors, and received valuable feedback.
- *1 GPIF: Government Pension Investment Fund. The world’s largest pension fund and an independent administrative agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which manages and invests the pension reserve funds of the Employees’ Pension Insurance and the National Pension.
- *2 PRI: Principles for Responsible Investment. An initiative based on the principle that ESG issues should be incorporated into the decision-making process of institutional investors.
Dissemination of Other Information
We provide an “Investors” page on our corporate website, which aggregates financial results, other presentation materials (“IR Library”), information on the general meeting of shareholders (“Shareholders/Stock Information”), and major financial information (“Financial Highlights”), etc. Among these contents, the “For Individual Investors” page provides general information on the pharmaceutical industry and market, as well as the Company’s characteristics and management strategy, etc. in an easy-to-understand format for individual investors who are new to our information. In addition, we issue bimonthly IR e-mail magazines to investors in Japan, featuring recent topics related to the Group.
Furthermore, through our integrated report, the Value Report, we provide our management’s views, and the history, strengths, and growth potential of our company, along with other non-financial information to our shareholders and investors to facilitate understanding of sustainable growth of our corporate values.
Going forward, we will continue to disseminate financial and non-financial information that meets the expectations of our stakeholders.
Increased Importance of CSR and ESG Information Disclosure
Companies operating globally are significantly affected by changes in the natural environment, economic trends, technological innovation, and the social system of each country or region. Such changes include internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and other digital technologies and biotechnologies, as well as economic and geopolitical changes, drastic changes in demographics, such as decreasing birthrate and aging population in developed countries and increasing population in emerging countries, as well as changes in the global environment. We recognize it is important to promote the disclosure both of financial information and sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information in the same way for our stakeholders to understand the opportunities and risks that are associated with such changes the company is facing.
Following the guidelines on non-financial reporting in Europe, many other countries and regions require disclosure on initiatives for the environment pertaining to the impact on climate change, for society pertaining to human rights and diversity initiatives, and for governance pertaining to anti-corruption and bribery prevention efforts. Since the reliability of numerical information on such initiatives is also required, the importance of ensuring reliability is also increasing. As ESG disclosures may be used for investment decision-making, the reliability of such information disclosed by a company should be reviewed by an independent third party. This is becoming an important criteria in ESG management.
Daiichi Sankyo Group of Companies Initiatives
As the Company Corporate Conduct Charter declares “fair disclosure of information and constructive dialogue with stakeholders” in Article 3, we also promote proactive, effective, and fair disclosure of sustainability and ESG information. We have been receiving third party assurance for our major social data since FY2018 and major environmental data since FY2019, respectively, with regards to data collection, calculation, and disclosure. The Group will continue to strive to ensure its reliability and improve the quality and quantity of data disclosed.
ESG Data