Penta Issues Tracker - Measuring what matters most to stakeholders

The Penta Issues Tracker analyzes the visibility of issues generating significant discourse across industries and stakeholder groups, including politicians, investors, NGOs, customers, and employees. It provides a strategic lens into the topics gaining traction in public and media narratives, using visibility to assess salience.

By identifying what is gaining momentum in public, political, and investor discourse, the tracker helps organizations anticipate risks, align communications, and proactively respond to shifting stakeholder expectations.

Visibility is defined as a volume-based metric weighted by the influence of the source, along with the prominence and relevance of each mention. It reflects not just how often an issue appears, but how significant and influential that coverage is, globally.

Top issues among stakeholder groups

Takeaways

• Technology and economics dominate discourse across stakeholders, with digital infrastructure and tariffs shaping sentiment and strategy.
• A cyberattack on Marks & Spencer (UK) sparks consumer data privacy concerns and investor pressure for increased cybersecurity investment.
• Trade policy and tariffs are linked to declining public support for President Trump, as reported around his second-term 100-day milestone.
• Environmental NGOs, including Air Alliance Houston, face funding cuts from the Trump administration, threatening clean air/water access and triggering legal action.
• Investor sentiment on AI is increasingly cautious, amid Microsoft job cuts and market volatility tied to AI stock valuations and economic uncertainty.

Tariffs drive policy discussion to top visibility

Takeaways

• Policy visibility is dominated by discourse around President Trump’s tariffs, which also extends into related themes like financial results, corporate compliance, and technology.
• Artificial Intelligence is another high-visibility issue that cuts across multiple sectors. While it is closely tied to technology, it also stands alone due to its polarizing impact, generating both excitement and concern across stakeholder groups.

AI announcements drive peak visibility

Takeaways

• Visibility peaks in April, following President Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcements.
• While AI remains consistently visible, its narrative has shifted, from being purely innovation-driven to encompassing concerns around accuracy, ethics, and societal consequences.

Top issues among industries

Takeaways

• Economic concerns are prominent across sectors, with Goldman Sachs forecasting a 7% revenue drop for BNP Paribas due to global trade tensions.
• Tariff pressures are a key issue for retailers, as Walmart’s revenue grows but CEO Doug McMillon warns of limits to absorbing cost increases.
• Innovation and Artificial Intelligence remain central themes in tech, reflecting transformation and leadership in emerging capabilities.
• The automotive industry is focused on electrification and tech integration, with U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs disrupting global supply chains.
• In the energy sector, discourse centers on financial results and renewable energy, highlighting decarbonization goals and regulatory challenges.