IR Global Rankings Announced the Best Ranked Companies in North America and Europe

NEW YORK, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - IR Global Rankings ("IRGR"), the most comprehensive technical ranking system for investor relations websites, corporate governance practices and financial disclosure procedures, jointly with its coordination group and supporting entities, Arnold & Porter, KPMG, MZ and Sodali, announced today at The IR Summit the 2012 Best Ranked Companies in North America and Europe, as follows:

Best Ranked IR Websites in North America: PotashCorp, Intel, Microsoft, Ryder Systems, Life Technologies.

*Most Improved IR Website in North America: AXA Equitable

Best Ranked IR Websites in Europe: Danske Bank, Pirelli, BASF, Bayer, Gruppo Hera.

*Most Improved IR Website in Europe: Veidekke ASA, BBVA

Best Ranked Online Annual Report in North America: PotashCorp, BMO Financial Group, Cameco Corporation, Stanley Black&Decker, Agnico-Eagle Mines

*Most Improved Online Annual Report in North America: Stanley Black&Decker, Fedex Corp.

Best Ranked Online Annual Report in Europe: Philips, BASF, Hannover Re, EVN Ag, Aegon

*Most Improved Online Annual Report in Europe: Turkcell

Best Ranked Financial Disclosure Procedures in North America: NextEra Energy, Fedex Corp, BMO Financial Group, Cameco Corporation, Ryder Systems, Agnico-Eagle Mines, Leao Wireless

*Most Improved Financial Disclosure Procedures in North America: Life Technologies.

Best Ranked Financial Disclosure Procedures in Europe: Evraz, NLMK, EDP Energias de Portugal, Philips, BASF, Turk Telekom

*Most Improved Financial Disclosure Procedures in Europe: Philips

Best Ranked Corporate Governance Practices in North America: PotashCorp

Best Ranked Corporate Governance Practices in Europe: Philips

We congratulate all members of the best ranked companies' IR teams for their achievements and efforts. The Top 30 global results, as well as the industry results, will be available on our website www.irglobalrankings.com in November 30.

To learn more about the IR Global Rankings, please visit: www.irglobalrankings.com.

2012 IR Global Rankings – North American and European participants list (in alphabetical order): Adecco SA; Advent; AEGON N.V.; Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.; Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Alternet Systems, Inc.; Amer Sports; American Public Education, Inc.; ARCADIS; ArcelorMittal; AT&T; AXA Equitable; BANKIA; Barry Callebaut; BASF SE; Bayer AG; BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizacaya Argentaria); BMO Financial Group; BNP PARIBAS; BRE Bank; BrightPoint; Cameco Corporation; Caterpillar Inc.; CGGVeritas; CGI Group Inc.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Danske Bank A/S; Delhaize Group; Deutsche Post DHL; Dr Pepper Snapple Group; E*TRADE Financial Corporation; EDP - Energias de Portugal; Erste Group Bank AG; EVN AG; EVRAZ plc; FedEx Corp.; Ferrovial S.A.; Flextronics; Fluor; Fraport; freenet AG; Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA; Galp Energia; Garanti Bank; Gazprom Neft; General Electric; Georg Fischer AG; Global Yatirim Holding; Santander; Gruppo Campari; Hannover Re; Hera; Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.; Hess Corporation; Hexagon AB; Hospira; HSBC Holdings plc; IC RUSS-INVEST; Imtech; Indesit Company SpA; ING Groep; Intel; Interactive Brokers; Kennametal Inc.; Land Securities; Leap Wireless; Life Technologies; Microsoft; Millenniumbcp; MorphoSys AG; Mota-Engil, SGPS; MPC Capital AG ; National Bank of Canada; Nexen Inc.; NextEra Energy; NIS a.d. Novi Sad; NKT Holding A/S; NLMK; Nordea Bank AB; Novozymes A/S; ONEOK Partners; PHILIPS; Pirelli; Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.; PPG Industries, Inc.; Procter & Gamble; Randstad Holding nv; RBS; Royal Dutch Shell plc.; Ryder System, Inc.; Severstal; Software AG; Sopra Group; Stanley Black & Decker; Syngenta; Tav Airports Holding; Technip; Telefonica Czech Republic; Tellabs; The Cooper Companies; The Hertz Corporation; The Wendy's Company; ThyssenKrupp AG; TURK TELEKOM; Turkcell; UCB; Ultra Petroleum Corp; Unisys; UPS; URS Corporation; Vedanta Resources PLC; Veidekke ASA; Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versich; Viscofan; William Demant Holding; WPP plc; Yara International ASA.

Contact: 
IR Global Rankings Team
NY: 1 212 813-2975
SP: 55 11 3529-3706

About IR Global Rankings: Solid communication with the investment community is a key priority for investor relations and corporate governance professionals, once value creation (stock prices) and risk perception can be managed. The implementation of best practices in communicating with the capital markets and fair disclosure procedures do help companies in earning and maintaining investor confidence. The annual IR Global Rankings and Awards survey is the most comprehensive auditing and ranking system for IR websites, corporate governance practices and financial disclosure procedures - a great opportunity to benchmark IR efforts vis-à-vis peers and industry leaders. Based on extensive proprietary research of publicly held companies and investors, and supported by input from independent audit, corporate governance and legal experts, IR Global Rankings methodology is highly detailed, transparent and fully accessible to all participants. The annual IR Global Rankings and Awards have grown each year since 1999.

SOURCE IR Global Rankings