Ayala Corp gets high ratings

Ayala Corp. and its subsidiaries garnered consistently high ratings in a survey conducted by Asiamoney on the best-managed companies in the region. The Hong Kong-based publication took a survey of research analysts and fund managers in 12 Asian countries including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Taiwan and Korea in addition to those in the US and Europe.

They were asked to rate companies according to various categories notably: Overall best managed, corporate strategy, management of financial accounts, access to senior management.

Ayala Corp., the Philippines’ largest conglomerate, was rated overall best in investor relations and second highest in the best-managed company category. The company went on to place not lower than third among Philippine companies in all the positive categories of the survey. Ayala Corp.’s concern for the investor was reflected in the fact that is also garnered the highest rating in the following categories: Access to senior management, quality of its annual report and website.

Among companies in the Asia-Pacific region, Ayala Corp. ranked 19th after India’s Infosys, China Mobile, Singapore Airlines and Hutchison Whampoa, among others. It tied with ABS-CBN in that spot and was topped by SM Prime Holdings which ranked third.

"It seems that Asia’s strongest companies have one outstanding attribute: endurance," observed the article which introduced the survey. It noted that many of the companies cited have been consistently ranked high in past surveys. Ayala Corp. jumped from third last year to second this year, a spot it shares with ABS-CBN.

Ayala subsidiary Globe Telecom and Ayala Land also landed in the overall best managed company category. Globe placed fifth while Ayala Land was eighth. In the management of financial accounts category, Ayala Corp. ranked third, followed by Globe at fourth. Bank of the Philippine Islands also ranked fourth in investor relations followed by Globe in fifth slot in that category.

"Ayala Corp. has a very professional, organized and very visible investor relations team. They provide quality information on a timely basis, and are accessible when you need them," according to an analyst cited in the article.