Good news at last for Pike River but web woes for Ebos

Friday 29th October 2010 4 Comments

Pike River Coal shareholders have had to dig deep for good news on the company of late, while Ebos shareholders have seen their shares on a steady rise since the start of June.

However, in role reversal on the good news front Pike River was named the best online communicator within the NZX50 - and Ebos Group the worst - at the fourth annual Best Investor Website Awards (BIWA).

The awards evaluate how well listed companies' websites meet the needs of investors and are held annually by Wired Internet in conjunction with Bruce Russell, information design lecturer at Christchurch Polytechnic.

Pike River scored 90 out of a possible 100 - the highest mark in the awards' four-year history - ahead of second place Fletcher Building (87) and Goodman Fielder (84).

All this year's top three companies had improved on their 2009 performance, when Pike River came 11^th , Fletchers 6^th and Goodman 4^th.

Last year's winner NZ Oil and Gas came in at seventh equal and at the end of the field were Mainfreight (43), Michael Hill (37) and Ebos (36).

The bottom three did show consistency however, they were also last in 2009.

The awards are backed by the New Zealand Shareholders' Association, whose chairman John Hawkins said, "As the importance of this relatively new medium grows, we would expect to see a steady lift in the clarity and user-friendliness of their websites. The awards are a great initiative to hasten this process."

"Celebrating those who are succeeding and challenging others is a sure path to improving the overall standard of investor websites. This can only benefit both shareholders and the companies they own."

Pike River relationships manager Helene Ambler said the company's website is a critical and integral part of its investor communications tool box.

Ambler said a large number of Pike River's 9,000 plus shareholders use the website for company updates.

"It allows investors to make direct contact with company representatives and personalises communication with our shareholders which is important to us and them."

The best and worst NZX50 companies in the BIWA 2010

Top five

Pike River Coal
Fletcher Building
Goodman Fielder
Auckland International Airport
Kiwi Income Property Trust
Port of Tauranga

Bottom five

Cavalier Corporation
AMP
Mainfreight
Michael Hill
Ebos Group

Comments from our readers

On 29 October 2010 at 8:21 pm Roger Hutton said:

As an investor in Pacific edge I have been totally underwhelmed with their website presentation. I have told them that their website fails to provide any up to date information and that it reflects badly on their position as a modern biotechnology company, but alas , no change. I would be interested to know where they placed.

On 30 October 2010 at 3:51 pm S Henderson said:

While a good website, offering news and information for the investor, might attract new investment and keep the shareholder happy, I would prefer that the companies I am invested in are out there doing the biz. They don't need to spend time and resources reporting it back to me continuously with web updates. Go Ebos and Michael Hill!

On 1 November 2010 at 8:52 am Peter Flannery said:

well said S Henderson, I agree. There are other measures that have real meaning. Peter Flan.

On 24 November 2010 at 10:07 am alexgow said:

? s for ceo pike river 1.why werent huge fans installed to suck out dangerous gases ,on friday when that was the first excuse about not entering mine? 2. why send in a toy robot without a waterproof raincoat on? 3 .it had cameras on it so why wasnt it been monitered to see the xs water ? 4. why not send in one pike river rescuer with the same equipment that a diver wears under water,ie oxygen tanks [on a trolly] ,huge torch,at least to report the situation? so what ,if pike river coal lost another life, checking on the fate of their 29 staff, they should have done that at least. now, they have, maybe 29 potential deaths on their hands, 5. pike river has with held onformation to 29 families and 4 m nzers and the world. re video footage of actually what went on. 6 why hasnt a hole been made on day 1, not day X? why use rubber or plastic drill bits? 7. why not use real expertise from ozzy/rest of the world that does know how to rescue people? 8. if their was a fire, why not block all oxygen to fire, ie block all vents to starve the fire? it would haave gone out by itself. i bet these are ?s that the 29 families and the rest of kiwis would like the honest answers to, not the bs that the nz police and pike river execs have been giving. im very upset with the way things have gone. regards alex.