Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Investor relations to sustain pharma confidence
Investing | Life Sciences
February 17, 2026 – Investor relations is especially critical for life sciences companies because long R&D cycles, high capital intensity, and scientific risk can strain market confidence. Clear, credible engagement, however, helps investors trust a company’s ability to execute, making short-term volatility more manageable for leadership, say McKinsey’s Andy West, Bart Van de Vyver, Greg Graves, Jennifer Heller, Laura Furstenthal, Ryan Davies, and coauthors. Companies with strong investor relations show better stock market performance compared with the broader market, including during periods of volatility. Ultimately, investor relations is a strategic capability that enables resilience, disciplined capital allocation, and sustained innovation..
To read the article, see “Clear, credible, compelling: Mastering investor engagement in life sciences,” December 11, 2025.
customizer here
Visual form
Index Chart: two-line stock-return comparison for high-capability investor-relations companies versus the S&P 500.
Layout / body structure
The chart plots two indexed return lines from April through August 2025. One line represents companies with high-capability investor relations, and the other represents the S&P 500 benchmark.
What is being compared
It compares average stock-return performance for companies with stronger investor-relations capabilities against the broader market during a volatile 2025 period.
Measurement system
Returns are indexed to April 1, 2025, so both series begin from the same reference point. The vertical gap between the lines shows relative outperformance in percentage points.
Visible structure inside the graphic
Both lines dip around early April, but the high-capability investor-relations line moves above the benchmark and stays higher through the summer. A right-side annotation calls out the final gap.
Main takeaway from the visual
The chart shows that credible investor engagement can be associated with better market resilience during volatility. Companies with stronger investor-relations capability outperformed the broader market over the measured period.
Key standout values or extremes
By August 2025, companies with high-capability investor relations stand about 4 percentage points above the S&P 500 on the indexed return measure.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static indexed line chart; there are no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the investor-relations stock-return index chart is the full visual on this page.