Business strategy scorecard for financial markets

Financial markets are, for the companies, a fairly independent “strategic front”, which joins, in the system of corporate strategy, the real markets' front and the social-economic system. In such a context, which has become more and more competitive, the basic trend has radically evolved and the object of exchange is now to be found in the opportunities of capital investment rather than in the capital itself. The company shall develop some competitive financial strategies in order to attract and retain the capital needed for its own development, at the best conditions possible. Therefore the financial strategy changes its targets and contents. The focus shifts from the company financial asset to its financial positioning (i.e., its positioning within the financial market), and the main question is to achieve a strong competitive role for fueling and leading the business development processes. The company's competitive force in the capital market directly reflects its ability to relate and dialog with financial investors, facing themes like strategy and value creation processes. For this purpose, in order to make this relation more effective, a Key Performance Indicators set (KPI set) is to be outlined, being in line with competitive levers in financial markets and with investors' trends, as well as able to completely represent the company's strategic potential. An analysis and communication model is then to be accomplished: that's the Business Strategy Scorecard (BSS) for financial markets which, by coordinating these KPIs within a systematic, synthetic outline shall be able to convey the essential knowledge needed to carry out a competitive estimation of the company as an opportunity of capital investment. The present paper aims to be a first step for the elaboration of the Business Strategy Scorecard; it is included in a wider research work to be completed by a testing phase (already started), during which the indicators and the model shall be applied to a significant sample of companies and investors for being tested.