Will SGX look into problems of virtual AGMs and bunching?

ANNUAL general meetings are the most important forums for shareholders of listed companies to raise questions about their companies relating to financial performance, operational strategy and overall management.

Most companies have their year-ends in December and hence, they have to hold their AGMs within four months or by end-April. Traditionally, in Singapore, most of the AGMs are squeezed into the last two weeks of April. This bunching of AGMs has gotten worse in recent years, so much so that investors with a diversified portfolio of SGX-listed companies have had to skip many AGMs due to clashing schedules.

Most companies do not post detailed minutes of their AGMs on the SGX information net, saying the AGM proceedings are only for shareholders. Hence, serious investors lose out on important information flow which can aggravate the already uneven playing field for small investors.