Analysts are increasingly tapping new technology and getting creative about research techniques to learn more about companies they cover. IROs can also take advantage of new types of data. BY AL RICKARD, CAE


C niri.org/ irupdate


ell phone pings. App and credit card data. Drone and satellite images. Store visits. Product catalogs. “Leveraging alternative data sources like these in equity research and communication


to the market can be a game changer,” said Rebecca Gardy, Chief Investor Relations Officer at Campbell’s, who moderated a webinar on this topic put on by the NIRI Philadelphia Chapter. She mentioned reading about Walmart Founder


Sam Walton’s obsession with store visits and counting the number of cars in the parking lot. (See sidebar.) In that spirit, Gardy explained that the webinar would explore unconventional research methods and discuss how they are reshaping investment strategies, providing unique insights into market trends, and adding another dimension to shareholder targeting. One panelist was Tim Gamache, Senior Research


Analyst on the global staples strategy desk at Weiss Multi-Strategy, who discussed alternative data sources he uses to conduct research on companies the firm covers. He conducts primary research and provides investment recommendations for more than 50 con- sumer staples companies around the world, focused primarily on North America and Europe. Te other panelist was Mark Fasken, Co-Founder and COO of Irwin, a capital markets software com-


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