Commenting on the prize, Steinebach said: "This award demonstrates that our pro-active and transparent financial communications enjoy significant confidence within the capital market. We regard it as both welcome recognition and an incentive to carry on improving. We will continue to further improve our Investor Relations activities."

Organized by Capital and the DVFA - the German Association for Financial Analysis and Asset Management - this annual ranking of the work carried out by the investor relations departments of listed corporations has been a regular feature since 1997. Henkel has continually improved its standing in recent years,
reaching ninth in 2003 and then moving up from fourth in 2004 to second in 2005. The criteria upon which the award is based are transparency, continuity, target group orientation and financial reporting quality.