Share Investor's top 12 Stockmarket/Business Awards for 2009

A list seems appropriate for the end of the year, everyone else is doing one so I might as well.

Here goes nothing.

CEO of 2009 - Russel Creedy from Restaurant Brands Ltd [RBD.NZ] For turning around the usually beleaguered fast food company by implementing better menus and service with a capital "S'.

Share price recovery - Restaurant Brands again for almost tripling their share price from a low of 62c to over NZ$1.60 in 12 months.

Management of the year - Mainfreight Ltd [MFT.NZ] As a whole the quality of management shone through as the logistics sector was particularly hard hit. Don Braid, Bruce Plested and the team they manage have negotiated their way through a bleak 2009.

Fraudsters of the year - Mark Hotchin and Eric Watson share this distinction. For going above and beyond the call of duty to fleece elderly investors of their life savings and walking away scot free. They should both be in prison.

Head in the sand award - Rod Oram and his ilk banging on about the fraud of Global Warming simply because they stand to make money by peddling this myth.

Stockmarket crusader award - Bruce Sheppard from the New Zealand Shareholders Association. When there is noise that needs to be made Brucie is there with his horned helmet ready to expose those that need to be seen in all their ingloriousness.

Worst performing major NZX stock/s - This would have to go to Nuplex [NPX.NZ] first and Fisher & Paykel Appliances [FPA.NZ] Nuplex destroyed millions of dollars of shareholder wealth by over extending themselves during the boom times and paying for it in 2009. Fisher & Paykel did the same but only stayed in the game because a capital rescue by the Chinese and their shareholders.

Sneaky IPO Prospectus award - Kathmandu Holdings [KMD.NZ] for hiding detail of their financial position in pro -forma accounts.

Wankers Award - ING and ANZ for duping clients out of hard earned cash after advised by bank tellers that investing in specific product being offered by ING that they were as safe as term deposits -turns out they were not!

Award for having no bark and no bite - The Securities Commission for failing to act in good time on fraudulent activity over finance company collapses and ongoing disclosure issues and insider trading of shares listed on the NZX.

Brand destruction Award - Cadbury for changing the recipe of their chocolate then vowing that customers wanted the change and would "get used to it" and after much pressure reversing the decision - lost sales to other chocolate producers.

Fire Sale of 2009 - Kirin bought the remaining part of Lion Nathan they didn't already own for a song - the "independent" report advised shareholders to sell but they could have gotten more.

From Fishpond.co.nz




c Share Investor 2009