Board Sees Us as Undervalued—Could It Be the Investor Presentation?
Question from an IRO:
“During a recent board meeting, a board member asked if our investor presentation might be contributing to why we’re undervalued compared to peers. I’ve been asked to dig deeper into this—any advice?”
Our answer:
There are many factors that drive valuation. But if you feel your company is comparable to peers—apples to apples—and the valuation difference is stark, it’s time to look beyond obvious metrics. Strengthening your investor story could help shift perceptions.
Research shows that teams excelling at IR communications are better at articulating their investment thesis and marketing their story effectively. While many factors are out of your control, your investor story is one you can control—so let’s make it count.
We recently covered the “Six Factors Investors Care About” in an investor presentation. This is a good place to start. For each, ask yourself: Does your deck address these factors? Simply saying “yes” isn’t enough—you need to articulate these clearly.
The Six Factors and questions to ask:
- Is your investor deck highlighting your moat and showing how you’ll outperform competitors sustainably?
- Are you explaining macro factors and industry trends that benefit your business? Are you tying them to growth projections in key markets?
- Is your strategy and long-term vision clear? Companies that excel often lay out their long-term targets (say 3 years out) with a clear strategy to achieve them.
- Is your management team’s expertise and track record evident? Does it show they’re right for this stage of your company?
- Consistency and execution excellence. Are you taking credit for strong financial performance consistently? Are you showing you’re walking the talk on guidance?
- Is your capital allocation strategy clear? Investors want to see your capex priorities and a strong track record with returns.
In most investor decks I see, more than half of these six factors are either missing or buried in lengthy, overly detailed slides. Your goal is to make these points obvious and easy to digest. Check out an example of a deck we helped refine—hopefully, you can notice most of these factors clearly.
And don’t forget design!
I am all for substance, but a visually appealing deck can be a game changer. At a recent Investor Day, a major bank analyst praised how clear and attractive our client’s deck looked—it made him want to dive deeper into the content. A fresh, modern design can do the same for you, grabbing attention and elevating perceptions.
In closing:
Your investor presentation is crucial in shaping market perceptions. Strengthen your story, present it with clarity and confidence, and you’ll influence how investors see your company (and maybe even get the Board off your back 🙂).
OUTKREATE transforms Investor Presentations for Public Company IROs. We enhance narrative, content, and design to help you achieve your IR goals.
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