Shareholder activist trends for 2026

What kind of shareholder activism and responses to shareholder activism can we expect? More communication from companies directly to their retail shareholders. More mergers and acquisition based activism. Activists don’t need a long track record, just a good story to tell. Most activist actions are settled by informal negotiations. Activists will use AI more often to source targets and identify shareholders sympathetic to the activists’ perspectives.

Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance | Shareholder Activism: Ten Trends for 2026