Acquiring BNY Mellon Shareowner Services has certainly worked in Computershare’s favor. Computershare/BNY Mellon is the transfer agent for an astonishing 30.9% of a total population of 10,644 active SEC filers, making the company number one in market share. American Stock Transfer & Trust (AST) is the second industry leader with only 15%.
However, recent data shows American Stock Transfer & Trust is steadily adding new clients. By securing a contract with a company right at its initial public offering, AST is becoming a strong contender.
From 2010 until recently, Computershare was the leading transfer agent for IPO’s, meaning that companies hired Computershare more frequently than any other transfer agent. But in 2012, data indicates that AST was hired by 31.6% of companies at their IPO, overtaking Computershare by over 3%. Could they be the future leader in market share?