1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

GMI Ratings is a pioneer in the application of non-traditional risk metrics to investment analysis and risk modeling. Formed in 2010 through the merger of The Corporate Library, GovernanceMetrics International and Audit Integrity, GMI Ratings provides global research coverage of the environmental, social, governance and accounting-related risks affecting the performance of public companies. GMI Ratings is a signatory to the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

  • : CommonWealth REIT Resurrects a Fallen Director

    By Kyle Whisler, Takeover Defense Analyst At its annual meeting of shareholders last week, the board of CommonWealth REIT (NYSE: CWH) sank to a new low, explicitly demonstrating that the company has little interest in the rights of their shareholders. For the past few months, the company has been involved in a tumultuous takeover fight with certain activist shareholders, namely Keith Meister’s Corvex Management LLC (Corvex) and Jeff Blau’s, Related Fund Management LLC (Related). In April, CommonWealth blocked a proxy contest attempt by shareholders to remove the entire board of directors. While the initial action by shareholders looked promising, CommonWealth’s board unilaterally amended the company charter and bylaws to align with Maryland … [Read More...]

  • : Nestlé Tries to Keep its Stakeholders Happy

    By Damion Rallis, Senior Research Associate At the end of March, the world's largest food company, Nestlé SA (VTX:NESN), was fined about 20 million euro by Germany's Federal Cartel Office for improper sharing of sensitive competition information. For Nestlé, the infraction represents a small sample of the stridently unfavorable news that has dogged the company in recent years. While negative press coverage has certainly not had a profound impact on Nestlé's share price-it dipped to a low of around 45 CHF in August 2011 and has since climbed to its current price of about 69 CHF-the company must increasingly safeguard its reputation as the rise of social media coincides with a new class of vocal and socially-conscious consumers. Download … More

  • : GMI Ratings’ Women on Boards Survey Finds Legislation Major Driver of Change; Countries without Mandates Lag

    New York – May 1, 2013 – GMI Ratings released today its annual report on Women on Boards. Based on data for almost 6,000 companies in 45 countries, and including historical data, the survey provides a broad and detailed assessment of global progress on gender diversity among corporate directors. The survey finds extremely slow progress in most of the world outside Europe, which has led on this issue through the adoption of legal mandates for the representation of women on corporate board. The findings will be of particular interest to investors and others seeking to increase board diversity through non-legislative means in North America and elsewhere. Key Findings Women now hold 11% of board seats at the world’s largest and best-known … [Read More...]

  • : Bloomberg Businessweek: Corporate Directors Get Older, Hold Their Seats Longer

    ...“What you want from directors is for them to really push the CEO for answers and, just by human nature, that gets harder the longer they’re on a board,” says GMI founder Nell Minow. “For every argument you can make about continuity and depth of understanding, you can argue that entrenched boards make companies sclerotic and averse to change...” … [Read More...]

Approved July 2012 by Board of Directors

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
GMI Ratings (“GMI”) is committed to providing its clients with timely and high-quality data, analysis, and research. It is of paramount importance that persons affiliated with GMI adhere to practices that substantively protect the exercise of independent judgment and ensure that clients, companies, and the public view GMI as independent.  It is therefore crucial that GMI exhibit fairness, objectivity, competence, transparency, and integrity in its dealings with “Subject Companies” (the companies GMI rates or analyzes for its subscription clients), clients, the media and all other constituencies.This Code of Ethics (“Code”) sets forth practices designed to achieve those aims. In some cases, conduct considered incompatible with GMI’s objectives is prohibited outright. In other instances, where prohibition is not warranted, this Code requires public disclosure, to enable those who rely on GMI’s data and analysis to take into account all relevant information.

Code of Ethics