Hargreaves Lansdown has partnered with Broadridge to provide its clients with a new online proxy voting solution.
Broadridge’s solution will improve speed and accessibility for shareholders wanting to play a more active role in their investments, the company says. The adoption of the service forms part of Hargreaves Lansdown’s goals of greater shareholder engagement.
Using the platform, investors are able to vote on their holdings of UK and European shares and access shareholder meetings through an online account. The service currently covers 5800 tradable equities, including all of Hargreaves Lansdown’s UK and European shares.
Hargreaves Lansdown is the latest to adopt Broadridge’s proxy voting solution, with companies such as eToro, SLIB and Strate onboarding the service in late 2022.
Tom Lee, head of trading proposition at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: “Retail investors are taking a keener interest in having the power to influence corporations on important issues such as board diversity, climate change and sustainability. Providing a new digital capability for this self-service system gives retail investors a greater say in the governance of the companies in which they hold shares and the democratisation of markets.”
Demi Derem, general manager of international investor communication solutions at Broadridge, comments: “Retail investor ESG requirements have changed. Having a say in how the companies they invest in operate has become a big deal. Subsequently shareholder voting functionality has never been more important. Increasing retail investor participation is part of our ongoing mission to drive greater shareholder participation and improve overall standards around corporate governance.”
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