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ODDO BHF Forum 2026: A Crucial Early‑Year Investor Spotlight in Lyon
The ODDO BHF Forum remains one of the most influential investor relations events in Europe, bringing together listed companies, institutional investors, analysts, and industry stakeholders for deep discussions on strategy, performance, and market outlook. This year’s 29th edition took place in Lyon, France on January 8–9, 2026, reinforcing the event’s reputation as “the place to be in January” for investment ideas and trends. (ODDO BHF)
Event Overview
Organised by ODDO BHF Securities, the forum reunites European companies and global investors for face‑to‑face, small group, and panel meetings, all designed to facilitate high‑quality dialogue moderated by seasoned analysts. It’s a critical early‑year checkpoint to explore corporate strategies, market expectations, and portfolio planning. (ODDO BHF)
The 2026 forum was held at the Lyon Congress Centre, with hundreds of companies and investors participating across thousands of individual meetings and strategic sessions. (LinkedIn)
Featured Company Participation
Ipsen
At the forum, Aymeric Le Chatelier, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, represented Ipsen in investor meetings, providing insights into financial strategy and forward outlooks. (Global)
Mersen
Thomas Baumgartner (CFO) alongside Véronique Boca (VP Corporate & Financial Communication) shared Mersen’s strategic roadmap and financial performance with attending investors during the event. (Mersen)
Testimonials from Participants
While formal testimonials from individual investors aren’t always published externally, ODDO BHF’s own reporting highlights the positive sentiment and productive engagements that took place across the two days:
“The 29th ODDO BHF Forum in Lyon is coming to an end. ⬇️ This year again, Lyon was the place to be in January! During 2 days, more than 220 European companies from 13 countries and around 500 international investors met for 5,230 meetings.” — ODDO BHF LinkedIn post (LinkedIn)
This summary from ODDO BHF itself functions as a collective participant testimonial, reflecting the scale of interaction and the high level of engagement between corporates and investors.
Top 5 Key Messages from the 29th ODDO BHF Forum
Here are the most significant themes and strategic insights that defined the 2026 forum:
1. Strong Participation and Outreach
The 2026 edition drew over 220 companies from 13 European countries and roughly 500 international investors, facilitating thousands of bilateral and group meetings. (LinkedIn)
2. Focus on Growth Outlooks
A central theme across discussions was 2026 growth prospects, with companies and analysts alike evaluating macro drivers and sector‑specific dynamics for the year ahead. (LinkedIn)
3. Structural Investment Drivers
Investors showed heightened interest in structural growth drivers such as artificial intelligence, defence, and infrastructure sectors, emphasizing areas of long‑term strategic value. (LinkedIn)
4. Geopolitical and Strategic Sovereignty Impacts
Conversations also included the impact of geopolitics on capital allocation and supply chain resilience, showing how macro risks are increasingly integral to investor decision‑making. (LinkedIn)
5. Enduring Partnership Value
The forum’s longtime sponsors — including ABN AMRO, BBVA, Commerzbank, Natixis, and historical partners Euronext Paris and Euronext Corporate Solutions — reinforced the event’s reputation as a cornerstone of European investor relations. (LinkedIn)
Why the ODDO BHF Forum Matters
The forum is among the first major networking and strategic investor events of the financial year, offering unique access to leadership teams and analyst insight across diverse sectors. Its format — combining individual meetings with thematic exchange sessions — enables nuanced exploration of:
- Company‑specific strategies
- Earnings outlooks and capital allocation plans
- Macro and thematic investment narratives
- Investor confidence signals for early‑year positioning
This makes the ODDO BHF Forum an essential event on the calendar for institutional investors and corporate executives alike. (ODDO BHF)
Looking Ahead
With the 30th anniversary edition planned for January 7–8, 2027 in Lyon, the forum continues its tradition as a key forum for equity dialogue and strategic investment idea generation in Europe. (LinkedIn)
Conclusion
The 29th ODDO BHF Forum 2026 demonstrated both scale and substance in its discussions, offering deep engagement between European corporations and global investors at a point when market participants are setting strategies for the year ahead. Its ability to convene industry leaders, analysts, and asset allocators in one forum underscores its ongoing relevance as an early‑year guidepost for investment themes and corporate communication priorities. (ODDO BHF)