AVI Urges Wacom To Make Governance Changes

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Asset Value Investors Limited (“AVI”) launches a campaign calling for Wacom Corporation (“Wacom”) to be more conscious of the capital market, and announces that AVI has submitted shareholder proposals ahead of Wacom’s upcoming AGM in June. AVI has published a detailed presentation on a dedicated website.

AVI invested in Wacom in August 2021 and has sought to engage in dialogue with the company as the largest shareholder, sending letters and presentations with the aim of improving corporate value in a sustainable manner. AVI is deeply concerned by the sluggish performance of the Branded Business segment, which has posted a cumulative loss of more than Y10bn since the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended 31 March 2022. The company has fallen far short of its mid-term plan targets and significantly underperformed the TOPIX index over this period.

Considering these circumstances, AVI has initiated a public campaign and submitted shareholder proposals at this year's Annual General Meeting with the aim of supporting the sustainable enhancement of corporate value. AVI’s shareholder proposals this year include:

• Establishment of a Transformation Plan Supervisory Committee
• Appointment of one outside director with capital markets background
• Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation regarding the handling of acquisition proposals based on the ‘Guidelines for Corporate Takeovers’ by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Kazunari Sakai, AVI Japan’s Head of Research, commented:

“To improve alignment with investor expectations and shareholder interests, Wacom should go beyond the current Board’s monitoring role by appointing directors with capital market experience, establishing a supervisory committee, and amending the Articles of Incorporation to align with METI’s Guidelines for Corporate Takeovers.”

“Although the Branded Business segment continues to face challenges, we are confident that through shortening the product development cycle for entry-level products and strengthening e-commerce channels, Wacom can further reinforce its position as the global leader.”

About Asset Value Investors (AVI):

AVI is an investment management company established in London, United Kingdom, in 1985. AVI has invested in Japanese equities for nearly 40 years. AVI manages AVI Global Trust (AGT) and AVI Japan Opportunity Trust (AJOT) and other funds, collectively investing Y120bn into the Japanese market. AGT and AJOT are public companies whose shares are listed and traded on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.