Germany's financial regulator scrutinizes German companies' pre-close calls for potential information asymmetry.

German companies' pre-close calls, held with select analysts to prepare for upcoming financial results, are being scrutinized by Germany's financial regulator. These private chats have been a tradition in Germany and Europe, but some investors argue that they create an unfair information asymmetry before quarterly results are released. Continental AG's shares dropped 5% recently, and the financial watchdog is now examining the current practices.