What is an Issuer Agent?

An issuer agent is any third party that works on behalf of an issuer as part of a corporate action, legislative requirement or information request, that has the authority to interact with investors to help successfully execute the transaction. The issuer agent will manage the process of investor disclosure requests and general meeting messages, chasing communications between the layers that separate the issuer and the beneficial owner - CSDs, custodians, sub custodians.

The issuer agent could also act in different capacities including as consent solicitation agent, information agent and tabulation agent depending on the corporate action it is involved in at the time.

SRD II Directive gives listed companies in Europe the right to identify investors, and requires custodians to disseminate disclosure requests to their customers and collect and submit disclosure information back to the issuer agent who will interpret them for the issuer.  Issuers themselves are often unable to decipher the information in a meaningful way without the expertise of an issuer agent.