Black Sun’s client work won three of the most coveted awards at the Thomson Reuters Extel/IRS UK Investor Relations Awards ceremony. Held last night at the Royal Hospital Gardens, Chelsea, these awards honour those companies that lead the way in the practice of investor communications.

• Tullow Oil won the IR Society award for ‘Most Improved Communication - Annual Report’ against stiff competition from Novolipetsk Steel, another of Black Sun’s clients.

 

“Tullow Oil demonstrated the most discernable improvement with significant improvements to strategy, use of key performance indicators and its handling of risk. A clear layout and simple descriptions were supplemented by excellent case studies highlighting company strategy and the relationship with operational risks.” Judging panel

• Legal and General Group won the IR Society award for ‘Best Practice Communications Through the Annual Report (printed and online)’ in the FTSE 100 companies section.

 

"Legal and General win this award for providing the best balance between the printed and online annual reports. The company’s position in a complex sector is well explained. The online environment was commended by the judges for making the best use of online tools to enhance the experience of investors reviewing the annual report. The use of management interviews, closely tied to the content of the report itself, together with strong linkages and enhanced tools, were considered by the judges to effectively enhance disclosure and the online functionality was seen as beneficial for broader stakeholders as well as investors.” Judging panel

• BG Group won the Thomson Reuters Extel award for “Best Annual Report for Investors” in the FTSE 100 category.

 

These awards were based solely on the weighted votes of fund managers and brokerage analysts covering UK stocks. Participants voted for the leading overall company for the best annual report.

David Christopherson, Chief Executive of Black Sun Plc commented: “We are delighted that our clients’ work has been recognised as setting the highest standards for investor communications. We work very hard to develop the narrative content and presentation of these reports to ensure they communicate effectively with stakeholders. We believe that those companies that aspire to best practice will gain real competitive advantage and deliver genuine business benefit.”