Forming the basis for the rankings are the company’s governance model, the ability of shareholders to wield influence, equality of treatment, as well as transparency around these issues secured through external reporting.

Hydro notches a high score even when the companies are ranked independently of their industries, with the company ranked in twelfth position here.

Hydro's score makes it one of the 30 best companies in the "Financial disclosure procedures" and “Investor relations website" categories. Of Norway-based companies, only Statkraft and Hydro are included in the "Financial disclosures procedures" rankings.

The IR Global Rankings are organized by US-based MZ Consult, which conducts a stringent annual review of companies’ financial and investor activities.

The appraisal that MZ Consult makes of the different companies, who themselves put their names forward for evaluation, takes place in December each year. This appraisal is then thoroughly scrutinized by an independent committee before the results are published some months later.

The IR Global Rankings is regarded as the most comprehensive system for ranking companies' IR websites, corporate governance practices and financial disclosure procedures. This year’s rankings are sponsored by consultants KPMG, law firms Demarest & Almeida and Arnold & Porter, as well as the communication agency Corporate Asia Network.