
More evidence that few read annual reports
A NEW survey of Canadian online investors has found that few rely on formal disclosure documents like annual reports for investment information, even though most describe themselves as long-term investors.

SEC delays NYSE’s IR services rule for deeper review
THE US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking extra time to scrutinize the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE) controversial proposal to promote an optional suite of investor relations services in its compliance rulebook for listed companies.

What social media pros should know about shareholder meetings and proxy solicitations
ASSUME you’re the social media manager for a publicly traded company and you’re responsible for monitoring and updating the content on all of your company’s various social networking channels. It’s the morning of June 2, 2011, and yesterday afternoon the company announced that its annual shareholder meeting will take place on August 15, 2011. The [...]

3 tips for simplifying your annual report
COMPLEXITY is unavoidable in today’s ever more complicated and sophisticated business environment. Much of the complexity in corporate reporting, however, is created by the sheer volume of disclosure. The solution? Thoughtful reduction to achieve simplicity.

IR vendors ask SEC to block NYSE rule
SEVERAL investor relations service providers have urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to block the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from promoting a bundle of website, PR wire and shareholder intelligence services to companies in the exchange’s rulebook.

Survey yields frank feedback on Swedish IR
A SURVEY of investment industry professionals’ views on Swedish investor relations practices has yielded some surprisingly frank responses, including that they don’t care much about CSR issues and think some IROs are token employees who can do little more than pour coffee.

StockTwits launches world’s first social IR dashboard
EARLY adopters of social media for investor relations have long had to contend with consumer-oriented tools and services that don’t quite meet their stringent compliance and business needs. But that is about change as StockTwits* this morning introduces the world’s first set of social IR services built especially for public companies.

Canadian IROs agree, social media impacts stock prices
A SURVEY of mostly Canadian investor relations professionals who are using social media for business has found that a strong majority agree that social media impacts stock prices and influences investors’ decisions – but few are acting on that belief.

Social IR becoming more important in Europe, says study
WHILE investor relations departments in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the UK mostly shy away from using social media, there is a growing belief that new media will become increasingly important to their communications with investors in the next 12 months, a new survey has found.

Stats show PR wires less effective than company web channels
STATISTICS from trackable links in company press releases suggest that even small companies’ websites are the most heavily used sources for financial disclosure information and that dissemination via PR wire services is mostly ignored by investors.

With Reuters, StockTwits now rivals PR wires for reach
WITH the addition of Reuters.com as a distribution partner, StockTwits* now provides its users – including a growing number of public company investor relations departments – direct access to a financial audience of almost 60 million monthly users.

LinkedIn IPO told through social media
I put this together because I think it demonstrates how social media in the hands of ordinary people can tell company stories in a richer, more authentic and transparent way than polished PR and Marketing can.

Alarm as NYSE seeks to add IR services to rulebook
IN A move that has set off alarm bells at smaller investor relations services providers, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) wants to add a new section to its rules promoting a suite of products to its listed companies.