TheCorporateCounsel.net

April 25, 2013

Social Media: Zillow to Collect Earnings Call Queries Via Twitter

Yesterday, Zillow blogged that it will be the first company to receive questions during an earnings call via Twitter. Even though several dozen (or more) companies have been live tweeting during their conference calls for several years, none have accepted queries by Twitter (and no company has tweeted anything other than pre-call prepared tweets during the presentation portion of the calls). So far, Zillow has not filed a Form 8-K announcing the use of social media channels.

Meanwhile, AllianceBernstein Holding might be one of the first to mention the fact that they live tweet during their earnings call in a Form 8-K. Last week, the company filed this Form 8-K which states that: “AllianceBernstein will be providing live updates via Twitter during the conference call. To access the tweets, follow AllianceBernstein on Twitter: @AllianceBernstn.”

Social Media: AutoNation, Zynga & DLH Holdings Announce Channel Use

With this Form 8-K, AutoNation announced that it has four social media channels (including the CEO’s personal Facebook and Twitter accounts) – and via this Form 8-K, Zynga served notice that it has three social media channels – that might be used to communicate material information. DLH Holdings’ Form 8-K doesn’t list which social media channels might be used – but rather states: “The list of social media channels that the Company uses may be updated on its investor relations website from time to time.”

I have added these companies to my list of 8-Ks filed by companies who announce they may disseminate information via social media in our “Social Media” Practice Area. Dominic Jones noted on Twitter that AutoNation CEO “Jackson has been using both channels for a long time and uses them well.”

Don’t forget our upcoming webcast: “Social Media: Parsing the Hypos.”

Crowdsourcing Earnings Estimates: Estimize

A start-up that has been around a few years – Estimize – that crowdsources earnings estimates has gotten a boost by being including on Bloomberg terminals, as noted in this WSJ blog

– Broc Romanek