In a survey conducted by Agoracom, of 850+ Canadian retail investors, the following findings were made :

  • 81% of Investors Prefer Small-Cap Resource Companies over Large-Cap.
  • 48.4% of Investors were most Bullish on Gold compared to other minerals and metals.
  • 73% of Investors Conduct the Majority of their Research (75%+) into New Stocks Online. This is a dramatic 18.65% increase over 67% of respondents in 2007 and serves as proof positive that an online investor relations program is critical if you want to reach new investors.
  • 48% of Investors Conduct All of their Research (95%+) into New Stocks Online. No online IR program means you immediately miss out on 48% of all investors.
  • 60% of Investors Use Discussion Forums For Information and/or Research.

  • AGORACOM brand recognition amongst retail investors has risen by 360% over the same period last year. With 95% of our market budget allocated online, we are an actual case study about the power of online marketing to small-cap investors.

QUESTION #3 – What Percentage Of Your Research Into New Stocks Is Done Online?

100% of Research (21%)

90% of Research (27%)

75% of Research (25%)

50% of Research (18%)

< 50% of Research (16%)

NOTE: This is one of the most striking statistics in the entire survey. Specifically, 73% of small-cap investors use the web to conduct the majority (75% +) of their research into new stocks.

Even more striking is that fact that 48% of investors rely on the web entirely to find their next small-cap investment.

Finally, after averaging the numbers out, the web accounts for 77.05% of all research into new small-cap investments.

These figures are both striking and logical when you consider the fact that major finance media provides very little, if any, small-cap and micro-cap coverage.

Based on these figures, a CEO that fails to implement an online IR strategy is doing a great disservice to their company and shareholders.

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excellent results from the survey by Agoracom. Retail investors were being arrogantly branded as nuisances less than a year ago, but with the increased shareholder activism and the market we’re in, they may be the best discerners of growth.