The Capital Signals Corporate Issuers Are Missing

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Companies can see how the market assesses them, but understanding what drives that view and what to act on can be much harder.

The MSCI Global Corporate Issuer Report 2026 surveyed 250 decision-makers and influencers at publicly listed companies across 17 markets in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Only 4% say they have a very clear understanding of how investors and the market assess their organization. The findings reveal where companies lack clarity, how they are responding and what they want to understand better.

• Capital access is the priority, but its drivers are less clear. Most (84%) companies surveyed rank managing cost and access to capital among their top priorities. Yet they report gaps in understanding the factors that can influence their position in capital markets.
• Investor insight matters, but the “why” is harder to see. Investor feedback informs decisions for 85% of respondents, yet 30% lack clarity on what drives investor sentiment, valuation and market reactions.
• Companies want to know how they compare. Integrated peer benchmarking is a top priority for 79% of respondents, pointing to demand for a clearer view across sustainability, index position and risk exposure.
• AI is moving beyond monitoring toward deeper analysis. 71% of companies surveyed already use AI in investor relations, capital markets or risk decision-making. While monitoring and summarization dominate today, 78% [of respondents / of AI users — confirm] are exploring or piloting scenario and what-if modeling.