PEARL Awards tasks SEC, NSE on improving market confidence

…insists on utilising key acceptable parameters

PEARL Awards Nigeria is of the opinion that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) need to do more towards investors’ enlightenment in order to rebuild confi- dence in the market.

PEARL (Performance, Earnings, And Returns Leadership) Awards was instituted 19 years ago to reward quoted companies for excellent operational performance based on verifiable facts and figures with the view to enhanc- ing the vibrancy, growth and development of the Nigerian capital market.

Tayo Orekoya, presi- dent/chief executive, PEARL Awards Nigeria noted at its 20th anni- versary flag-off/press conference in Lagos that “investors’ confidence must be fully restored to enhance the growth and development of the capital market.”

He said, “Active in- vestor sensitisation and education is essential to further restore investors’ confidence in the market.”

Within the 20years of its existence, the PEARL Awards has come up with various initiatives that have impacted positively on investors, sharehold- ers, prospective investors and the capital market as a whole.

These initia- tives include The PEARL Awards Public Lecture for Capital Market De- velopment; the Nigerian Stock Exchange Annual, and the Winning Strate- gies for Nigeria’s Corpo- rate Giants.

Recall that in recogni- tion of the shared values of the Awards Project with SEC, the Commission gave a formal endorsement to the Awards as an attesta- tion to the commitment of the Awards Project in promoting corporate ex- cellence.

Like previous ones, this year’s PEARL Awards which holds on November 29, 2015 will also be deter- mined utilising the global- ly acceptable parameters which include turnover growth, return on equity, earnings yield, share price appreciation, dividend cover, and profit margin ratio, among others.

In addition to the new- ly created Awards in the special honorary awards category, the 2015 PEARL Awards would feature the three main competitive categories –the sectoral leadership awards, market excellence awards, and the overall highest award category –the PEARL of the Nigerian Stock Market.