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Reputation Information on Pharmaceutical Companies Most Sought by Investors According to Rating Research Survey

Insurance and Banking Follow Closely Behind

Bedminster, N.J. (30 January 2003) - Seventy-five percent or more of individual investors state they would value information concerning the reputation of leading companies in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, followed closely by insurance and banking, according to the Investor Confidence Index conducted by Rating Research LLC (RRC), a joint venture between The Ratrix Group and Opinion Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCI).

Both investors and non-investors surveyed indicate that the reputation of a company impacts some important personal decisions. Specifically, a hefty 80% of respondents state that the reputation of a company would “very likely” or “somewhat likely” impact a decision to go to work for a particular company.

Additionally, 78% of respondents note that reputation would affect whether they would want a particular company to locate in or close to their hometown. Finally, a substantial 83% said a company’s reputation would “very likely” or “somewhat likely” impact their product or service buying decisions.

At least half or more of the respondents express interest in knowing more about the business practices, corporate ethics, environmental consciousness and other related reputation issues of 15 additional industries including food, technology, medical devices and utilities, ranked next highest in the survey.

“Given the shrinking confidence by investors and non-investors alike in the ethics of Corporate America, it is not surprising that we see such significant interest in corporate reputation, said Professor Stephen A. Greyser, Harvard Business School and a board member of RRC. “Furthermore, given the impact industries such as pharmaceutical and banking have on individuals’ lives and the dollars of invested funds these industries represent, it is clear why they are ranked on top.”

This wave of the Rating Research Investor Confidence Index, conducted January 10-13, 2003, included interviews with over 450 investors and 450 non-investors. Previous waves included interviews with approximately 500 investors and took place in May, June, August, November and December 2002.

Investors and Non-Investors Value Non-Financial Data

Individual investors continue to put a value on non-financial information about publicly traded companies according to the survey. Ninety-three percent state it is either “very important” or “somewhat important,” representing a consistent picture since last May when a similar response was obtained from 94% of individual investors. Reflecting a similar perspective, 86% of non-investors say access to this kind of information is important for the general public.

“Today’s investors want more information about the companies where they invest, especially in light of the tumultuous investing climate of the past three years coupled with the high profile corporate misconduct they have witnessed. At the same time, the public also appears to value this kind of information beyond investing alone.” noted Professor Greyser.

RRC is a reputation rating agency that provides opinion and analysis on the corporate reputation of leading companies across a variety of industries. RRC will be releasing reputation ratings for the banking industry in early March. Additional reputation ratings will be released throughout the year for those industries in which individual investors indicate reputation information is valuable.

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For more information on RRC’s Corporate Reputation Ratings contact Jane Barr.