Evidence is mounting that the technology sector may finally be back in favour with investors.  A research report issued by Paradigm Capital’s technology team last week argues that we could be in the early stages of a new bull market for tech stocks.  The report says market fundamentals are improving across the sector, sparked by such catalysts as ever-increasing appetite for bandwidth, resurgent popularity of certain consumer technology, the shift towards a software-as-a-service delivery model, and the wireless data trend.

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Every fall the CICA (Canadian Institute for Chartered Accountants) Corporate Reporting Awards recognize excellence in disclosure practices. Having participated as a judge in the Electronic Disclosure category for three years, I have taken a close look at a fair number of websites. 

Many of the same names rise to the top each year.  These tend to be large-cap companies with abundant resources to devote to the development and maintenance of their IR site – for example, PotashCorp, Telus, BMO and Nexen. 

It is not feasible for most issuers to match the efforts of these perennial leaders.  But some of the “best practices” that differentiate the web sites of these issuers are easily attainable.  And it has nothing to do with six-figure design budgets and special effects.  The most important objective is to provide investors with the information they need – in as user-friendly a format as possible – to enable them to make an informed investment decision. (more…)