On behalf the MSM Media Group I am delighted to launch the 2013 UK Stock Market Awards, the third such annual event. The awards will celebrate all that is great about publicly listed British companies and the equity market within which they operate.
The event will also seek to answer the biggest question of all - who is truly creating shareholder value? The winners in each Super Sector category, and also those sections which highlight individual executive and deal-making achievement, will be judged on their ability to allocate capital in the most effective manner possible. They will be assessed for how well they balance risk with reward to generate the earnings or dividend growth that in turn yield the optimal total shareholder return.
Industry professionals and retail investors alike can vote in the initial nomination process. Voting opens 1 November, and will run until Friday 14 December and I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to make your voice heard.
As before, the categories will cover the FTSE Super Sectors and a range of other areas of corporate and individual activity. We have also initiated two new awards, Best Exchange, to reflect the rapid pace of technological advancement in how investors can access the markets, and Best Share Registrar, to reward the often unsung work carried out by the all-important registrars.
The nominations, five per category, will then be whittled down to the winners by our panel of industry experts at a special lunch in January. The awards themselves will be presented at a gala dinner to be held on Monday 18 February 2013 at the Honourable Artillery Company in the City of London.
I would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support of this third annual event and look forward to seeing which firms and individuals receive one of the coveted nominations. All will be revealed in our final issue of the year, due out on 27 December.
Russ Mould, Editor, Shares Magazine
Sponsors
This year's winners:
Well done to all the companies who were nominated by the public in the UK Stock Market Awards 2013 and a big congratulations to the eventual winners below who were chosen by the judging panel!
| 1 | Best Oil & Gas PLC | Plexus Holdings |
| 2 | Best Chemicals PLC | Croda International |
| 3 | Best Basic Resources PLC | Gemfields |
| 4 | Best Construction & Materials PLC | Galliford Try |
| 5 | Best Industrial Goods & Automobiles PLC | Babcock International Group |
| 6 | Best Food & Beverage PLC | Nichols |
| 7 | Best Personal & Household Goods PLC | Games Workshop Group |
| 8 | Best Health Care PLC | Genus |
| 9 | Best Retail PLC | ASOS |
| 10 | Best Media PLC | Rightmove |
| 11 | Best Travel & Leisure PLC | Whitbread |
| 12 | Best Telecommunications PLC | Inmarsat |
| 13 | Best Utilities PLC | National Grid |
| 14 | Best Banks PLC | HSBC Holdings |
| 15 | Best Insurance PLC | Admiral Group |
| 16 | Best Real Estate PLC | St Modwen Properties |
| 17 | Best Financial Services PLC | Hargreaves Lansdown |
| 18 | Best Technology PLC | ARM Holdings |
| 19 | Best Investor Relations Communications | Sally Jones - British Land Co |
| 20 | Best Advisor - Corporate Sponsor | Numis Securities |
| 21 | Best Advisor - Legal | Baker & Mckenzie |
| 22 | Best Advisor - Financial PR | Newgate Threadneedle |
| 23 | Best Share Register | Capita Registrars |
| 24 | Best Exchange | London Stock Exchange |
| 25 | FD of the Year | Bill Tame - Babcock International Group |
| 26 | CEO of the Year | Vinodka Murria - Advanced Computer Software |
| 27 | Deal of the Year | Direct Line Insurance Group |