More Japanese companies are giving gifts at annual general meetings (AGMs) in a practice that could increase the ranks of loyal retail investors as pressure from activist investors grows.

The pickup in gifts, from collectibles to food, has been steady. A survey by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank showed 11% of firms offered them at AGMs in 2024, up from 4% in 2021.

Companies that gave cash vouchers to vote totaled more than 120 last year, five times the level in 2019, an industry group estimated.