Investor relations (IR) is a "strategic management responsibility that is capable of integrating finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance to enable the most effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies, which ultimately contributes to a company's securities achieving fair valuation." as defined by National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).[1] IR is also function to assess the impact of a company actions (e.g. acquisitions, change in dividend policy, introduction of new product) on the company's position in the capital markets (e.g. stock price, competitive position, public perception).[2]
The term describes the department of a company devoted to handling inquiries from shareholders and investors, as well as others who might be interested in a company's stock or financial stability.