OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2016. Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) announces that during the 10th Baltic Market Awards Nasdaq Baltic traded companies with the best investor relations over the past year were recognized. The winners were announced in eight categories and honored during the live video bridge between Nasdaq Tallinn, Nasdaq Riga and Nasdaq Vilnius.

To mark a decade of the Baltic Market Awards, a special category was created to recognize one company from each Baltic country that has displayed greatest increase in share price combined with Baltic Market Awards ranking throughout 10 years. All three Top Performer of 10 Years winners -Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp, Olainfarm and Apranga – were invited to ring the Bell at Nasdaq MarketSite in New York.

The largest water utility company in Estonia Tallinna Vesi was announced the winner in the main category The Best Investor Relations in the Baltics 2015 for the third time in a row.

Tallinna Vesi also showed the best results in two more categories: The Best Interactive Investor Relations 2015 and The Best Investor Relations According to the Market Professionals 2015.

Nasdaq Baltic invited investors to single out The Most Trustworthy Company on the Nasdaq Baltic Market. Investors voted for Tallinna Vesi.

LITGRID was announced the best in The Most Visible Improvement over the Year 2015.

TEO LT was the winner in The Best Annual and Corporate Governance Report 2015.

The annual Baltic Market Awards also recognize the best financial intermediary – a bank or a brokerage company trading in Baltic shares – with the award of Member of the Year. 2015 year winner is LHV Pank.

„We are delighted to congratulate the 10th Baltic Market Awards winners, the runners up and all Baltic listed companies which showed their commitment to transparency and acted in accordance to the highest international standards,” said Arminta Salad?ien?, Head of Nasdaq Baltic. “The algorithm is simple: sound investor relations and corporate governance boost trust in companies and the capital market. In turn the capital market provides access to funds and liquidity and helps strengthen the company’s reputation.”

55 Baltic listed companies were evaluated according to 160 criteria in 2015.

During the past 10 years the quality of annual and corporate governance reports at Nasdaq Baltic has increased by 57%, the quality of online investor relations has improved by 66%, and the overall average quality of investor relations has increased by 33%.

The Baltic Market Awards 2015 Winners and Runners up:

The Best Investor Relations in the Baltic Market

1. Tallinna Vesi
2. TEO LT 
3. Merko Ehitus

The Most Visible Improvement over the Year

1. LITGRID
2. Arco Vara
3. Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius

The Best Interactive Investor Relations

1. Tallinna Vesi
2. Ventspils nafta
3. TEO LT; Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius; SAF Tehnika

The Best Investor Relations According to the Market Professionals

1. Tallinna Vesi
2. TEO LT 
3. Apranga

The Best Annual and Corporate Governance Report

1. TEO LT
2. Merko Ehitus
3. Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius  

Member of the Year

1. LHV Pank
2. SEB Pank
3. Swedbank

The Most Trustworthy Company on the Nasdaq Baltic Market According to Investors

1. Tallinna Vesi
2. Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp
3. TEO LT

Top Performers over 10 Years, displaying greatest increase in share price and Baltic Market Awards ranking

Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp – in Estonia
Olainfarm – in Latvia
Apranga – in Lithuania

About the Baltic Market Awards
The Baltic stock exchanges have been carrying on the Baltic Market Awards project since 2006. The purpose of the Baltic Market Awards is to highlight the best investor relations in financial and non-financial reporting and improve the overall standard of investor relations among listed companies, as well as provide them with individual evaluation and consultancy from the Nasdaq Baltic side. The members of the Evaluation Committee represent academics, investors, finance analysts, media representatives and representatives of the Nasdaq Baltic. The Evaluation Committee is chaired by Professor Geoffrey Mazullo, corporate governance expert.

About Nasdaq
Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services across six continents. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 70 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to more than 3,700 listed companies with a market value of approximately \\$9.7 trillion and nearly 10,000 corporate clients. To learn more, visit: nasdaq.com/ambition or business.nasdaq.com.