“Is it a reasonable expectation from your investors to know what your thinking is?”

SGListCos Chairman's Roundtable: Shaping the Forward-Looking Narrative on 29 September 2026 brought together chairmen, C-suite and senior business leaders from across Singapore’s listed company community for a discussion on forward-looking guidance, the Board’s role in shaping strategy, and investor communication.

This roundtable followed the publication of SGListCos Discussion Paper on Forward Guidance in July 2026: Read the Discussion Paper

The session welcomed distinguished guest, Samuel Tsien, who shared perspectives drawn from his extensive experience across the banking and financial sector, offering his perspective on listed company leadership in today’s environment. Importantly, listed companies needed to look beyond forward-looking statements as a compliance exercise and instead, consider what investors can reasonably expect to understand about the future direction of the business.

The discussion explored how forward-looking communication can provide investors with greater visibility into a company’s medium-term direction. Rather than focusing solely on specific financial forecasts, companies can provide meaningful context around strategy, capital allocation, growth priorities, and the deployment of resources.

Board stewardship also featured prominently in the conversation. Samuel provided concrete suggestions on a range of topics, including how boards can set and raise the bar for forward guidance, approach M&A decisions and communications, and respond to the growing importance of retail investors.

The roundtable concluded with an engaging exchange among participants, reflecting the value of creating a trusted environment where listed company leaders can openly share experiences, challenge perspectives, and learn from one another. Building on these conversations, SGListCos will be developing a Forward Guidance Playbook to bring together insights and perspectives from listed companies and market participants, to support listed companies in moving towards more effective forward-looking communications.

More meaningful forward guidance can come from greater peer learning and more open conversations amongst the listed company community. SGListCos looks forward to creating more opportunities for listed companies to come together, exchange experiences and learn from one another, fostering stronger connections and greater dialogue across Singapore’s listed company community.