Publicly Traded Companies
We give you the support you need to meet the many challenges encountered when entering the money markets. Our portfolio of services is open to companies already active in the capital markets (being public) as well as to companies that are just about to take the first steps (going public).
Raising public capital requires the involvement not only of key management staff but also of a number of specialised advisers, most notably the auditor. Producing the documents required for the initial public offering (IPO) is a complex task fraught with risk, and the resources required are seldom found inside the business. Your company's internal processes will also need to change to meet the requirements of the capital markets. For example, you will need to set up a risk detection system, convert to IFRS, and install an accelerated process for producing annual financial statements.
Companies that are active in the capital markets and those that want to be must be prepared to fulfil an increasing number of regulatory obligations and financial requirements. We assist our clients proactively to address these obligations while at the same time taking into account developing regulation.
The requirements relating to day-to-day business also increase considerably when a business goes public. Publicly traded companies are exposed to strict regulatory regimes. Here, the success or failure of a business essentially depends on the speed and professionalism with which it reacts to changes as they arise, and its ability to adjust to the new circumstances.
The regulatory environment itself is also in continual flux. Particularly at European Union level there are, and have been, wide-ranging new regulations targeted principally at publicly traded businesses and their structures. The laws implementing the Transparency Directive (2004/109/EC) and the Directive on takeover bids (2004/25/EC) are just two examples of the legal guidelines now transposed into German national law. Deadlines for national implementation of the Directive on statutory audit (2006/43/EC) and the amending for the Accounting directive (2006/46/EC) have already been set.
Our teams of experts
PwC provides advice and assistance to publicly traded companies across Germany, and globally through internationally networked teams of experts. The aim of our auditing and advisory approach is not merely that of covering the current regulatory framework but of identifying developments as they emerge and incorporating these into a forward-looking service for our clients.
Providing auditing and advisory services for publicly traded companies is PwC's core business. We are constantly using the experience garnered in this area to improve the quality of the services we offer.
Services portfolio
Public trading impacts on the business at various levels and PwC's services are varied to match:
- Advice on all strategic planning and project management issues
- Conversion to IFRS accounting standards
- Conversion of corporate management (setting up risk detection and internal audit systems)
- Advice on producing the documents required for an equity market flotation
- Provision of comfort letter/due diligence
- Advice on the production of an external company report
- Advice on the filing of reports with regulatory bodies (e.g. SEC)
Ongoing services
For businesses already active in capital markets, we offer a comprehensive range of services. PwC is a professional and well-respected partner in the areas of audit and advisory services.
Our services include:
- Annual audit
- Special audits and certifications
- Advice on the structure and organisation of financial accounts
- Advisory services in accountancy and balance sheet processes
- Support for planning and evaluation within the accounting context.
- Process reliability and compliance
- Process effectiveness and efficiency
- Risk management across the business spectrum
- Support when meeting legal standards (compliance)
- Corporate management analysis and optimisation
- Analysis and optimisation of internal financial control systems
- Internal audit optimisation
- Tax planning and advice on restructuring
- International tax advice
Client events
We cover current trends at regular events on various topics to which we invite selected representatives of publicly traded companies. At these events, our experts report on the status of the regulatory environment and detail where companies need to make changes to their practices.
We shall also be happy to make the professional training skills of our teams available to clients in the form of individual events staged at their offices.
