Listed companies are required to publish annual audited financial reports and interim unaudited financial reports prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Investors rely on the financial reports to get a glimpse of the financial performance and fundamentals of the companies.
Generally, financial statements are voluminous and complex for most investors. In addition, most disclosures in the reports are often historical, quantitative and only depict the short- term performance of the company.
Gradually, issues of how companies impact the society they operate in- the environment, overall Environmental Social and Corporate Governance(ESG) structures- have increasingly become key for investors as they decide which companies to invest in. Read more…