We announced today that NZX is sponsoring all NZX Listed company delegates to attend the “The Essentials Of A Successful Investor Relations Programme” course free of charge. You can read the full announcement on the NZX website.

The course, run by the Australasian Investor Relations Association (AIRA), is being held at the NZX Centre in Wellington on Thursday 12 November 2009 from 9am – 6pm.

Core topics at the course this year are developing an annual IR calendar, an NZX Listing Rule refresher session and an effective communication with the market discussion panel with analyst, media and company representatives.

As communicating with investors through online channels is an area of increasing focus for listed companies, Bruce Russell of Wired Internet Group and Chris Roberts of NZ Oil & Gas, will be presenting on best practice guidelines for Investor Relations websites. Catherine Walker, Community Manager at Xero, will talk about how Xero uses social media to connect with customers and stakeholders.

NZX Listed company delegates can register for the “The Essentials Of A Successful Investor Relations Programme” course free of charge and all others are invited to register for a discounted fee of $250.

We hope to see representatives from all NZX Listed companies here at NZX in Wellington on November 12, and if you have any questions do not hesitate to get in touch here on the blog, via email at lucy.mcfadden@nzx.com or by phone on (04) 496-2890.

Download the full AIRA Course Programme here

Register for the AIRA course here

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NZX hosted the CFA Society of New Zealand’s Global Investment Research Challenge here in Wellington today.  At the event four teams, representing Otago, Canterbury, Massey and Auckland universities, each presented investment research on an NZX Listed company to a judging panel. Paul Richardson, Chief Investment Officer at BT Funds Management, Paul Davis, technology investor and entrepreneur and Guy Elliffe, Head of Equities at AMP Capital Investors made up the judging panel this year.

More than 200 universities worldwide compete in the Global Investment Research Challenge which is an opportunity for university students, investment industry professionals, and listed companies to promote best practices in equity research and company analysis.

In his presentation to the group NZX’s Geoff Brown emphasised the enabling impact that information, like the reports created by the Investment Research Challenge teams, has on the development of markets.

University of Canterbury was the winning team for their research on PGG Wrightson Limited (NZX: PGW). Winning team members were Sam Clement, Bruce Duyvesteyn, Marko Nikolic and Tom Quirk. Supporting this team was mentor Rhiannon Evans, an Associate Director from Murray & Co and University of Canterbury Faculty Staff Rick Boebel and Glenn Boyle.

Update for Monday 23 November – PwC and Bell Gully achieve an astounding fundraising goal
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Bell Gully staff has skilfully reached their goal – to raise a multi-year total of $500,000 for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation (LBF). 
  
In the past five years, the firms have enthusiastically participated in the LBF’s Shave for a Cure. With this year’s total added, the amount fundraised exceeds the half a million dollar goal. This October, the firms joined forces and sought staff “investment” to continue to add to their fundraising efforts. They worked with the NZX blog about their events.

Bell Gully chairman Roger Partridge says the firm’s partners and staff welcome the chance to contribute and be part of the teamwork and rewarding fun that is the Shave event. 
  
”We never lose sight of being able to make a practical difference for those with leukaemia and their families. For some, this is very personal; for others losing their hair or giving donations is just a small contribution but one collectively we know can go a long to support the work of the LBF.”

Kathryn Roberts, PwC, Partner Tax, says: “Shave for a Cure 09 has once again been a fun and successful event for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Staff and partners got behind this fantastic cause once again and we’re delighted by the generosity of our people and their willingness to make donations to the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation in support of their colleagues.

“The Shave event itself was a huge success with a large turnout of supporters and a great group of shavees ready to lose their locks for this cause. Our target has been to reach half a million dollars in funds raised for this charity through our annual shave events, and we are thrilled  that this year we have achieved this target for this very worthwhile charity.”

Bell Gully Shave participant Chris Payne says: “This is the second year in a row I have participated in Shave and the fifth year that Bell Gully has been involved. It is a great event in that it so readily combines fun and fundraising for such a worthy cause. I was pleased to be able to help. I also think the new “haircut” improved my time in the recent Auckland Half Marathon!”

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Update for Friday 06 November – Shave off to a firm start
Staff at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Bell Gully have gone public for the first time to show off their shaved heads. The firms hosted successful Shave events on Friday 30 October. So far, the staffs have contributed over $73,600 to the Initial Fundraising Offer (IFO). The photos below are from the Bell Gully hosted Shave events in their Auckland and Wellington offices.

PwC hosted a Shave event in their Auckland office. The event had a commercial theme where a number of participants shaved their hair with their sponsors’ logos including 3wisemen, Perpetual Asset Management, Maui Capital and BNZ. PwC will continue to host shave events around the country to be spread over the next month starting on 30 October and concluding 20 November.

The firms are fundraising to support patients and families living with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers and conditions.

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Update for Friday 23 October – One week to the firm Shave
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Bell Gully’s Shave for a Cure “Initial Fundraising Offer (IFO)” to raise funds for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation (LBF) is due to close in just 1 week. To further encourage staff to get behind the event, Bell Gully coordinated Bad Tie Day on 22 October. Staff were encouraged to wear outrageous ties and voted for the worst tie by cash donation. The Bell Gully Bad Tie Day raised an incredible $1113.90 in one day!

The PwC offices have issued a North Island versus South Island Challenge. The South Island offices in Christchurch and Dunedin have challenged the North Island offices in Hamilton and New Plymouth to see who can shave more heads and raise the most funds.

PwC and Bell Gully firms have joined forces and hope to raise awareness and funds for the LBF. In the past four years they have raised an amazing $404,000 for the LBF. This year, they are seeking staff investment to continue to add to this and to take the total raised to more than $500,000.
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Update for Monday 12 October – Staff step up to Shave
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Bell Gully’s Shave for a Cure “Initial Fundraising Offer (IFO)” to raise funds for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation is off to a respectful start. So far, the firms have several staff step up to shave and momentum is building.  The firms are working with the NZX to make the offering to their staff. Since the IFO launch, each firm has had staff from their regional offices sign on to back the fundraiser.  PwC’s Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington offices have signed on while Bell Gully’s Auckland and Wellington offices have jumped on board to Shave for a Cure.

The firms are hopeful that more of their staff will join in the effort. It’s yet to be seen how many shavees this IFO will bare.  To register, or for more information about Shave 09, visit www.shaveforacure.co.nz. For more information on the LBF, go to www.leukaemia.org.nz.
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NZX will be tracking the performance of the PricewaterhouseCoopers and Bell Gully “Initial Fundraising Offer (IFO)”, a variation on Initial Public Offering (IPO), here on the NZX Blog as these firms participate in the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation’s Shave for a Cure fundraiser this month.

Staff participation in the offer is either by offering a head of hair to be shaved or by donation of funds in support of the shavees. Shave Day is 30 October, and weekly progress updates will be published here in the countdown to Shave Day. NZX staff will be participating actively in this campaign, either through donating funds or shaving for a cure.

Welcome back, and I hope everyone is looking forward to another year of opportunities to contribute. Some quick thoughts from me, in a pretty busy period:

• Where the world is at right now is still pretty interesting. Failure of Nortel gives a strong sense that corporates, as well as individuals, are hoarding cash rather than spending/undertaking business investment. Jobs cuts and losses globally are mounting quickly, and revisions to the downside are tennis match to “love” in the tennis match with the “upside revisions” thus far. This will change…
• New Zealand remains well positioned compared to other countries, and does have a real chance, still, to come out of this global tumult very well on a relative, and potentially absolute basis.
• The Prime Minister’s Summit on Employment is a strong signal from the PM that there will be public/private sector cohesion, which is a positive change of tone.
• It is very important that, like with the response to Swanbelly and Lloyd’s “Measurable Goal” that everyone thinks hard about new ideas, and what they or their organizations can tangibly do…

In terms of the NZX Blog,  the focus which grew up around the Swanbelly releases and your feedback – the economic future and growth focus of the NZ economy -  will remain consistent, the topics will move on, and obviously the upcoming Summit on Employment will be a reasonably big one.