Click the report to enlarge.

Check out this infographic of data from our partner Q4 Web System's latest research report - Public Company Use of Social Media for IR.

To download the full report, please visit http://bit.ly/Q4TwitterReport. 

With the proliferation of email, online bill payment and the digitization of nearly all information, there’s little concern about the impact of a nationwide postal strike. So far, the rotating strike has rolled through Winnipeg, Hamilton and now Calgary.

Still, mail is frequently used by public issuers for delivery of documents to investors. In light of that, the Canadian Securities Administrator is recommending that all public issuers required to file materials with one of its members and deliver documents to security holders ensure they take the necessary steps to meet their prescribed delivery obligations. For more information, check this out.

Crystal Quast
Senior Director, Media Relations

Proper messaging, comprehensive disclosure, and a proactive approach to engaging the street; all are hallmarks of an effective IR strategy.

But does high-quality IR pay off? All other things being equal, including strong business fundamentals, can a company with better IR practices expect a better market valuation that its peers?

According to a survey conducted by The Equicom Group, with the assistance of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI), the answer is a resounding yes.

One of the key findings of the survey, which polled 42 members of the professional investment community, revealed that 98% believe IR has an impact on market valuation. Even more telling is that 93% of those same respondents indicated they would pay a premium for a company with more credible IR practices. Conversely, 67% of investment community respondents said they would assign a discount to a company with less credible IR practices.

Results from 43 professional investor relations professionals polled showed a similar take on the correlation between strong IR and market valuations.

Want to know more? The complete results of the survey can be viewed and downloaded http://www.equicomgroup.com/survey.

Crystal Quast
Senior Director, Media Relations

TMX Group today announced its financing activity on Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) for May 2011. Here are some of the highlights:

TSX-V:

• New listings on TSX-V increased by 70% during the month, with 17 new companies listed.
• Total financings raised in May 2011 surpassed May 2010 figures by 99%.

TSX:

• The TSX welcomed 15 new companies during May 2011.
• The exchange continued to surpass 2010 levels for new listings during the first five months of 2011, with an increase of 3% compared to the same period the year before.
• Year-to-date market capitalization continues to outpace 2010 levels by 26%.

Together, the TSX and TSX-V welcomed 10 companies from the mining sector.

To view the full report, please visit: http://www.tmx.com/en/pdf/month_stats/FinancingStats_May11.pdf

Gloomy economic reports and concerns that the global economy could be taking a turn for the worse kept reporters busy last week. Still, there was room for several Equicom clients in some of Canada’s top tier publications.

IA Clarington garnered its fair share of media attention last week when it announced the hiring of award-winning portfolio manager Dan Bastasic.  Shirley Won of the Globe and Mail covered the high-profile move as did Advisor.ca and Pensions and Investments.

Also in the limelight from Clarington was Larry Sarbit of I.A. Clarington’s Sarbit U.S. Equity Fund. He appeared on CBC: The Lang & O’Leary Exchange (at 43:20) to talk about why he’s so keen on certain U.S. equities right now. He was also profiled in the National Post’s Buy and Sell column.

A deadly outbreak of e. coli in Europe that has sickened more 2,300 people and killed 22 there had reporters covering all angles of the story, including potential cures. Thallion CEO Allan Mandelyz appeared on both BNN and Bloomberg Television to talk about how Thallion’s Shigamabs product, currently in development, stops e. coli from preventing the onset of sometimes lethal complications.

Lastly, Karnalyte CEO Robin Phinney sat down with Mining Weekly reporter Matthew Hill to talk about production plans at its Wynward Project in Saskatchewan.

The TMX Group announced May 2011 trading statistics today for its diversified group of exchanges – Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, Montreal Exchange and Natural Gas Exchange (NGX).  Here are some of the highlights:

-         Montreal Exchange achieved a monthly record in average daily volume in May 2011, with 259,745 contracts during the month.  

-         MX also experienced a record in average daily volume during May 2011 on the Three-Month Canadian Bankers’ Acceptance Futures contract (BAX), with volume reaching 99,673 contracts.

-         Total volume on MX increased 25% compared to the May 2010 and 17% percent compared to last month. Open interest contracts in May 2011 were up 4% over April 2011, and 35% compared to May 2010.

-         TSX Venture Exchange transactions and volume were both up 118% and 44% respectively compared to the same period a year earlier.

-         Volume was up 13% compared to May 2010, though was down somewhat compared to April 2011.

-         Transactions on the Exchange were up 97% in May 2011 compared to the same month in 2010, though were down compared to April 2011.

-         Toronto Stock Exchange trading volume and transactions both increased by 7% compared to the first five months of 2010.

-         Transactions on the exchange were up 5% in May 2011 compared to April 2011, while trading volume was down slightly compared to the previous month.

-         NGX May 2011 total volume surpassed April 2011 levels by 3%, though it was down slightly compared to the same month in 2010. Year-to-date, volume on NGX continues to exceed 2010 levels.

For the full report, please visit: http://www.tmx.com/en/pdf/month_stats/TradingStats_May11.pdf