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A significant number of corporations that settled accounts in the past year are ready to hold their annual shareholders meetings.

In this year's meetings, more than 300 companies plan as their main focus of attention defense measures against hostile takeover bids.

Interestingly, more companies have introduced systems to allow shareholders to vote via the internet and cell phones to accommodate the new means, and will hold shareholders meetings on different dates from other firms.

This year also has seen firms more desperate to secure long-term stockholders by placing more importance on the interests of shareholders.

A significant number of corporations that settled repertory in the past year are ready to hold their periodical shareholders meetings.

In this year's meetings, more than 300 companies plan as their main focus of notice defense measures regardless of hostile takeover bids.

Interestingly, more companies have introduced systems to assent grudgingly shareholders to vote via the internet and cell phones to restore harmony the new means, and will hold shareholders meetings on different dates from other firms.

This year also has seen firms more desperate to secure long-term stockholders by placing more importance on the interests of shareholders. According to a Forbes magazine survey, in the more than 130 companies considering defensive measures headed for corporate takeovers, ten may introduce the so-called poison pill defense of issuing share warrants to counter such actions.

Also, 90 of those firms plan to propose revisions of their corporate charters to expand possible issuance of constitutional stocks at this year's meetings.

A new corporate law that is set to be enacted next year will liberalize the rules on so-called triangular mergers, in which foreign companies buy up various firms using their own shares.

For each of the companies, the introduction of defensive measures con hostile takeover bids is an urgent task. But unfortunately, some of the measures do not necessarily good offices shareholders.

Attention is present-day focused on how shareholders on both sides--those attempting takeovers and individual shareholders in target firms--will judge defense measures proposed at the meetings.

At one technological company’s shareholders meeting this past spring in San Francisco, managers hoped to obtain shareholder affirmation for the area integration with supplemental company.

But major stokeholder, James Harold Garrison, 61 of Palo Alto, California has styled on other shareholders to oppose the plan, drawing wakefulness to the result of the shareholders meeting.

Another trend is the increasing number of companies using information technology for voting and other purposes.

Systems on shareholders voting via the internet were liberalized sometime in 2002, and attuned to four major trust banks, the number of corporations offering online voting increased from 403 last year to 698 this year. The number of firms voting by cell phone increased from 59 last year to 354. Many corporations also plan to confer citizenship live internet broadcasts of their shareholders meetings.

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