Golden Gate Bridge

Managing Stock
Transfer Costs
Responsibly
Since 2006

Recent News

Spring 2024

Should smaller public companies think twice about doing spin-offs?

It is an interesting question, when weighed against the recent comments made by Timothy Quast, President of ModernIR, who gave us permission to repeat his comments here: Small caps should not do spin-offs.  This gets to the heart of understanding what "the money" buys today, and how investor relations professionals add value in the C-Suite and Boardroom.  The S&P 500 is roughly 87% of market cap. 
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Winter 2023

Will Artificial Intelligence be used by U.S. Stock Transfer Agents?

Yes and no. First one must distinguish between AI and “Generative AI.” If simple AI is defined as (or is the de facto equivalent of) the automated, electronic performance of a simple task, then yes – transfer agents (TAs), the larger ones anyway, do this and have done so for years. We can think of many TA functions where a computer takes in a client company or shareholder request, “processes” it and produces a corresponding answer or action.
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Testimonials

Shareholder Service Solutions, Inc.

Simply put, Andy Wilcox’s services made me look and sound like I was an expert in transfer agent contracts, pricing and policies, when clearly I am not.  His customer service was excellent and was all encompassing as it pertains to the services and advice he provided.  He saved me the countless hours it would have taken to become appropriately educated on transfer agents and their contracts in addition to helping deliver a refreshed contract and pricing structure with my existing vendor that is better than I ever would have been able to do on my own.  ~ Steve Willoughby, Vice President Investor Relations, PerkinElmer, Inc.

Helpful Hint

SSA and STA

If the reader is involved with investor services at a U.S. public company, and is not a member of either the Shareholder Services Association or the Securities Transfer Association, we believe he...
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Term of the Month

EQ U.S.

As of 2023 this is the official name of the stock transfer agency created by the merger of EQ Shareowner Services and AST Financial, which were both acquired by Siris Capital Group in 2021.  AST had a long history as American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (headquartered in Brooklyn); and EQ, stemming from Equiniti Group plc (headquartered in London), had venerable U.S. roots originating as Norwest Bank and Wells Fargo Shareowner Services.  EQ and Computershare are now the largest stock transfer agents in the U.S.

Quote of the Quarter

“Stock transfer service is not a ‘commodity.’  Escheating the shares and undistributed cash of a stockholder deemed ‘lost,’ to the properly determined U.S. state, which stock is spread across multiple CUSIPs and maybe purchase plans, where the original transfer agent merged with another, and then another – is not akin to a pork belly.”  ~ Andrew Wilcox, Managing Principal, Shareholder Service Solutions, Inc.