The topics that Investor Relations managers need to be familiar with are becoming increasingly diverse. And at least some investors expect answers to pressing questions ever more quickly. Dealing with this often means walking a tightrope for investor relations managers, as became clear during the panel discussion „Traditional financial products and IR – outdated in times of permavolatility“ at the DIRK conference held in Frankfurt on 23 and 24 June.

„I can't tell you straight away how many of our products are transported through the Strait of Hormuz,“ admitted Patrick Kofler, Head of Investor Relations at Zalando. He also would have to research some of the information first. However, the expectations of a growing number of investors are different.

Roger Peeters, Managing Partner of pfp Advisory, manages two German funds and advises Kofler and other IR managers not to chase after the short-term oriented part of the investor community. In the end, it's all about long-term relationships that create trust.

Katharina Seiler, Senior Equities Fund Manager at DWS with a focus on the Americas, takes the same line. She does not perceive the current period as uniquely crisis-ridden. There have always been crises in the world. However, the multitude of media and information channels has changed perceptions.

Investors mainly expect to be prepared if a forecast is likely to be missed. There are various ways to do this, such as pre-earnings updates or direct discussions. However, direct contact is important. Franziska Gebekken, Head of Change Management at Deutsche Bank, who deals with transformation topics, advises IR departments to make greater use of the opportunities offered by generative AI in order to make time for more personal interaction.

Zalando manager Kofler agrees, but remains sceptical in view of the significantly increasing need for information on the part of numerous investors during the quarter. The „short-term thinking“ is increasing even among long-term investors. If, for example, the Zalando share price drops by more than 10% within a few days without any relevant news, even strategic investors become nervous. There was also a consensus between investors and IR representatives that AI will gain enormously in importance as a helper. However, the important interpersonal contact remains the key to successful IR work.

At least the companies that have been awarded the IR Prize 2025 have found the key to being the calming influence for investors in the perma-crisis storm. Among the companies, Deutsche Telekom once again came out on top in the Dax. Head of Investor Relations Hannes Wittig, wearing a „fan outfit“ jacket with logo, and his CFO Christian Illek were delighted with the repeat award for Europe's largest telecommunications group. Illek emphasised that Telekom, which started out as a people's share, will continue to keep an eye on small shareholders in its investor communications. For example, the Bonn-based company is using social media to reach younger retail investors.

In the MDax, Nemetschek came in just ahead of Fraport. The prize was accepted by CFO Louise Öfverström. The software company has doubled its market capitalisation to almost 14 billion euros within two years, and is considered a candidate for promotion to the Dax. Next year, Öfverström could therefore be competing with Deutsche Telekom for the IR crown in Germany's top stock market league. Fraport IR boss Florian Fuchs did not have to be too annoyed, however. He won in the category of best IR communication by an IR boss in the MDax. In the Dax, Leslie Iltgen from Henkel came out on top in this category. Ceconomy achieved a double victory in the SDax. The operator of Media Markt and Saturn came out on top among the companies. As in the previous year, IR boss Fabienne Caron came out on top and celebrated with CFO Remko Rijnders.

The topic of ESG communication, which has recently lost some of its importance among investors, as Zalando IR boss Kofler noted, has earned Infineon Technologies a special prize. For Alexander Groschke, Head of IR at the chip manufacturer, ESG is not just a fashionable topic. Some investors are still specifically asking about it. Infineon will therefore continue to report on its progress in this area – regardless of regulation.