Gold stars at the IR Magazine Europe Awards 2012
Before the deluge of VIPs and foreign dignitaries descended on London for the Olympic Games, the Hilton on Park Lane played host to the IR Magazine Europe Awards 2012, the annual investor relations event, first held in London in 1991.
This year, Allianz secured the top step on the IR podium, jumping over such top-of-the-table stalwarts as BASF, Unilever and Nestlé to take its place as both the number one ranked company in Europe and the winner of the grand prix for best overall investor relations by a large-cap company.
The other grand prix winners on the night were Lanxess, three-time winner in the mid-cap category, and Metsä Board of Finland in the small-cap category.
A total of 60 awards were handed out at the ceremony in London. The winners of the awards and the overall rankings are based solely on the votes of more than 700 investors and analysts from 21 European countries, including Turkey – the first time the country has been included in the extensive research that underpins the event. Turkish bank Yapı Kredi took home one of 20 best in country awards handed out on the night.
Special mentions also go to EADS, BASF, Novo Nordisk, Land Securities, Randstad and ASML, each of which picked up one of the 24 best in sector awards for the third year running.
A glance at the top 10 companies in Europe for 2012 and their respective awards is included below. Full details about the awards can be found in the IR Magazine Investor Perception Study, Europe 2012, alongside interview-led profiles of the award-winning companies, the Euro Top 100 and the full list of more than 450 ranked companies in Europe.
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Euro Top 100 ranking: 1 (personal best)
Allianz
Gold-standard IR
Grand prix for best overall investor relations – large cap
Best investor relations officer – large cap
Best in country – Germany
Best in sector – insurance (defended title)
What the investment community says:
‘The IR effort is embedded in the management process so that Oliver Schmidt has a complete understanding of the business and the strategy’ – sell side, UK
Euro Top 100 ranking: 2
BASF
Gold-standard IR
Best corporate literature (defended title)
Best corporate governance and disclosure
Best in sector – chemicals/speciality chemicals (defended title)
What the investment community says:
‘The statements produced by BASF are valued by the entire industry, and it provides good mid-term guidance’ – buy side, Germany
Euro Top 100 ranking: 3 (personal best)
Unilever
Gold-standard IR
Best investor relations by a CEO – large cap (defended title)
Best in sector – food & beverages/tobacco
Best in country – UK (defended title)
What the investment community says:
‘I’m voting for Unilever because of the quality of disclosure in its reporting and how well the CFO and CEO present at roadshows. It’s not always easy to get companies to come to Brussels, so we appreciate it when they do’ – buy side, Belgium
Euro Top 100 ranking: 4
Novo Nordisk
Gold-standard IR
Best analyst/investor meetings
Best in country – Denmark (defended title)
Best in sector – healthcare/pharmaceuticals & biotech (defended title)
What the investment community says:
‘It’s the incredible consistency of Novo Nordisk that I applaud. When times are bad, the company carries on disclosing and continually welcomes feedback. It provides relevant information and sells its message really well’ – buy side, Belgium
Euro Top 100 ranking: 5 (personal best)
Kingfisher
Gold-standard IR
Best in sector – retail
What the investment community says:
‘Sheer brilliance in the timely communications from Kingfisher: it sends reminders two weeks ahead of the balance sheet, for example’ – buy side, Austria
Euro Top 100 ranking: 6
Nestlé
Gold-standard IR
Best use of technology for investor relations (defended title)
Best in country – Switzerland (defended title)
What the investment community says:
‘Nestlé hosts good annual events, providing excellent access to management. It also uses social media for its IR, with an iPad application and a Twitter account’ – buy side, Netherlands
Euro Top 100 ranking: 7 (personal best)
Danone
Gold-standard IR
Best in country – France
What the investment community says:
‘Every year Danone tries to bring something new in terms of information about strategy, products or the different countries it’s in. You get the feeling there is a long-term and consistent view’ – sell side, France
Euro Top 100 ranking: 8
Novartis
What the investment community says:
‘Novartis not only provides regular meetings but also hosts events on specific topics of interest’ – sell side, Switzerland
Euro Top 100 ranking: 9
Lanxess
Gold-standard IR
Grand prix for best overall investor relations – mid-cap (defended title)
Best investor relations officer – small & mid-cap (defended title)
Best investor relations by a CEO – small & mid-cap
What the investment community says:
‘The CEO of Lanxess has strong views on the future of the business and can debate in detail about turning the business round from the ugly duckling to the crown jewel’ – sell side, Germany
Euro Top 100 ranking: 10
EDP – Energias de Portugal
Gold-standard IR
Best in country – Portugal Best in sector – utilities
What the investment community says:
‘I currently have a negative outlook on EDP but it still calls me and sends me detailed reports. That proves it thinks about its investors in the medium and long term’ – buy side, Italy
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