Please do not hesitate to contact us for all media enquiries: jackie@portalchemy.com
19th August 2015, Brighton
Now that html corporate reporting has all but disappeared the PDF is the primary digital channel for annual reports. It's hard to find another industry or activity that modernised and then de-modernised in the way corporate reporting has done. The fact that print runs for annual reports have plummeted with companies forcing investors and analysts to use the PDF version of the annual report online has meant a massive increase in the amount of content consumed via the medium. Ten years ago the PDF was a digital archive of the printed annual report; today it is the annual report.
Considering the importance of annual reports both as a record of performance of listed companies and an important asset to inward investment we would expect the annual report PDF format to have undergone a transformation in terms of quality and functionality over the last 15 years. Sadly this is NOT the case for the most part.
Yes, design and narrative has improved. Regulatory requirements mean that annual reports have doubled or tripled in size in that time. There are improvements in PDF readers. But for the most part the annual report PDF remains the same as it did back then. Recently we started to talk to investors and analysts about the annual report PDF and the patterns of disgruntlement and observations were striking. "Disjointed page numbering, an absence of meaningful navigation, simplistic search function, readability issues, misguided security measures, fixed spread presentation, inability to copy content properly and users realising that the annual report PDF has changed since they last downloaded it and investors now needing a never ending supply of printer ink." were all sighted issues says Ian Whitworth.
In response to this PortAlchemy has now taken the initiative and established a standard called the 'Investor Friendly PDF Standard'. It takes the form of a uniquely numbered trust symbol that can be used on the back of the PDF or on the companies download centre. Companies fill in a questionnaire at PortAlchemy and are awarded a score. The standard provides best practice guidelines for companies and agencies in the creation of financial document PDFs. It lets investors know that company’s, have their best interests at heart and understand their needs. Companies are keen to act responsibly and show good citizenship. The 'Investor Friendly PDF Standard' gives a means to do just that. For more information go to portalchemy.com/investorfriendly
For more information: info@portalchemy.com
Call Ian on: 07730 586615
20th April 2015, Brighton
PortAlchemy, a new corporate reporting website for UK listed company’s aims to be the premier annual report download centre in the UK. “We wanted to create a transparent and visually exciting reporting hub…” says the founder Jacqueline Whitworth. “…to establish a unique intelligence platform that goes beyond the figures and builds a unique resource for institutional and private investors.”
The website allows subscribers to create their own stories across annual reports by attaching 'post-It' style notes in individual pages to create libraries of intelligence. These notes can be threaded across reports, through years and business sectors. Subscribers can choose to share that intelligence across PortAlchemy or maintain complete privacy. Such an intelligence network will allow users to navigate annual reports in innovate and efficient ways reducing the time associated with collecting information and providing an essential tool for investors.
PortAlchemy, for the first time, provides a global text search of the FTSE 350 and small cap listed companies. Users can filter by company, year and business sector. For instance if you need to know how many times ‘net cash’ is mentioned in an annual report then PortAlchemy can not only tell you but show you which reports mention it the most, in what sector and how that has changed over the years.
FTSE 100, 250, Small Cap indices are all covered and soon AIM. The reports go back 10-15 years and can be downloaded directly from the website or viewed within your browser. PortAlchemy hosts the reports so there are no broken links and each report is indexed for easy navigation.
PortAlchemy is free to browse and use with a licence needed for special features and tools.
For more information: info@portalchemy.com
Call Jackie on: 07515 997765