Shareholder meetings are a significant annual event for listed companies and member organisations, and we understand the importance of getting them right.
That's why Computershare has been producing our ASM Intelligence Report for over a decade, to put our experience and insights into the hands of the people that need it most — company secretaries, investor relations professionals, company directors and more.
Computershare's annual ASM Intelligence Report has become the definitive resource to help companies understand key shifts in the meeting environment both here and abroad.
2025 marked an important shift in New Zealand’s shareholder meeting environment.
While voting outcomes remained broadly supportive of boards, shareholder scrutiny increased, engagement through digital channels accelerated, and virtual and hybrid meeting formats continued to dominate. For the first time, this report establishes a full‑year NZX50 benchmark, enabling meaningful year‑on‑year comparisons across voting behaviour, shareholder engagement and meeting mechanics.
Key insights from the 2025 season
- Director elections remained strongly supported, with average approval levels increasing slightly year on year — but boards faced more questions and deeper scrutiny from shareholders during meetings.
- Virtual and hybrid ASMs continue to be the norm, with New Zealand maintaining the highest prevalence of a virtual component compared with other global markets.
- Digital voting accelerated, with faster institutional vote flows and a greater proportion of issued capital being voted through real‑time digital channels.
- Shareholder engagement evolved, with lower overall attendance but increased online participation and higher volumes of questions focused on governance, remuneration and accountability.
- Proxy advisor and regulatory developments continued to influence voting outcomes and issuer disclosure expectations.