Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Thursday, July 28 2022 - 12:00
AsiaNet
Participation in Investor Communications Japan's (ICJ) Proxy Platform Surpasses 1,700 Listed Companies
TOKYO, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

Investor Communications Japan ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3604428-1&h=1848194152&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icj.co.jp%2Fen%2F&a=Investor+Communications+Japan 
) (ICJ), a joint venture by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3604428-1&h=3148007283&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.broadridge.com%2F&a=Broadridge+Financial+Solutions%2C+Inc. 
). (NYSE:BR), a global Fintech leader, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange Inc ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3604428-1&h=2582680470&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpx.co.jp%2Fenglish%2Fcorporate%2Fabout-jpx%2Fprofile%2F01.html&a=Tokyo+Stock+Exchange+Inc. 
). (TSE), announced today that the number of share-issuing companies on its 
electronic proxy voting platform (the Platform) has exceeded 1,700 listings, an 
increase of 499 companies since June 2021.

Logo - 
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/326728/broadridge_financial_solutions.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1866800/ICJ_Logo.jpg


As of June 2022, over 1,600 companies listed on the Prime Market of the TSE 
participate in the Platform, representing 87% of the companies in that market 
or 98% by market capitalization. In addition, over 100 companies listed on the 
Standard Market and over 20 companies listed on the Growth Market participate 
in the Platform, and in June of this year, over 1,200 of all companies listed 
on the TSE that held general meetings of shareholders participated in the 
Platform (up by over 300 companies).


"Increasing numbers of listed companies and institutional investors are seeking 
to ensure sufficient time to exercise voting rights based on constructive 
dialogue and the Platform better enables this process," said ICJ President, 
Shigeo Imakiire. "This increase in companies joining the Platform is proof that 
the voting environment has dramatically improved to facilitate the objectives 
of Japan's Corporate Governance and Stewardship codes."


"ICJ will continue working to strengthen the competitiveness of Japan's capital 
markets and advance corporate governance through the digitalization of general 
shareholder meeting processes. ICJ aims to support effective dialogue between 
companies and investors, and the realization of greater operational efficiency 
and provision of valuable services for general shareholder meeting 
participants."


Digitizing and Streamlining
"Broadridge is proud to support the ongoing growth of electronic proxy voting 
in Japan, by providing innovative digital technology solutions to benefit 
issuers and investors and help modernize the industry," said Demi Derem, 
managing director of International Investor Communication Solutions at 
Broadridge. "Through our collaboration in the Japan market, we enable greater 
issuer and shareholder participation, market wide transparency, and set the 
standard for proxy communications and voting."


The ICJ Platform digitizes the processes of general shareholders meetings to 
streamline operations and contribute to the competitiveness of Japan's capital 
markets. It helps listed companies engage constructively with institutional 
investors by providing the opportunity for well-informed engagement before, 
during, and after shareholder meetings.


Increased Interest
Listed Japanese companies using the platform increased substantially following 
its March 2006 launch and accelerated after the implementation of the Corporate 
Governance Code in 2015 and the recommendation to use the Platform by the 
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Study Group on Promoting 
Electronification of Processes for Shareholder Meetings in 2016.


More recently, a revision made to the Corporate Governance Code in 2021 that 
requests Prime Market-listed companies promote the use of electronic voting 
platforms further accelerated this trend. After almost 18 years, the Platform 
has become a key part of the infrastructure of Japan's capital markets.


ICJ is part of Broadridge's local market commitments to enhance corporate 
governance and increase shareholder democracy at a national level in markets 
around the world. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications 
hub, enabling higher standards of corporate governance and investor stewardship 
by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions 
of individual and institutional investors around the world.


About Broadridge
Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with $5 
billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers 
investing, corporate governance, and communications to enable better financial 
lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions that drive business 
transformation for banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public 
companies. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub 
enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and 
mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors 
around the world. Our technology and operations platforms underpin the daily 
trading of more than $9 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities 
globally. A certified Great Place to Work(R), Broadridge is part of the S&P 
500(R) Index, employing over 13,000 associates in 21 countries. For more 
information about us, please visit www.broadridge.com.


About ICJ
Investor Communications Japan, Inc. (ICJ) is exclusively providing electronic 
proxy voting platform services for Japanese issuers and global institutional 
investors. The participants on ICJ platform are: 1,738 Japanese issuers, 6 
transfer agents, 3 master trusts banks, 6 subcustody banks, 17 global custody 
banks and about 4,500 institutional investors worldwide. ICJ delivered 36 % of 
all voting shares of ICJ participating issuers in June 2022 AGM peak season. 
For more information of ICJ and participating issuers, please visit 
www.icj-co.jp.


Media contact:
Ashton Consulting: broadridgejapanpr@ashton.jp


SOURCE  Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
 
Translations

Japanese