Poor Canada. It's bad enough that it's viewed in the United States as a sort of prudish neighbor. Now, five of its biggest companies--including Nortel Networks Ltd. and gold-mining giant Barrick Gold Corp.--have been booted off the S&P 500, which is enforcing its U.S.-only rule for firms in the index.
"We are one of the largest gold companies in the world," argues Jamie Sokalsky, CFO of Barrick Gold, "and we were arbitrarily ignored on a geographic basis because we have our head office in Toronto."
But what about the U.S. companies that made news recently by moving their headquarters to Bermuda to lower their taxes? If giants such as Nortel and Barrick Gold got iced for geographic reasons, why do such newly minted Bermudians as Ingersoll-Rand and Tyco International still have a place on the index?
"We're not a tax policeman," explains S&P spokesman Michael Privitera. Some 10 companies with Caribbean headquarters remain on the S&P 500.
Sokalsky says he was initially shocked by S&P's move, but takes comfort in research by the firm, which predicts no long-term impact on his company's stock. And that's not his only source of comfort. The day it was yanked from the S&P 500, Barrick discovered that its most recent exploratory site--believed to hold 3.5 million ounces of gold--actually contains more than twice that amount. Maybe S&P will call back. -- Tim Reason
What About These Hosers?
S&P 500 firms with offshore registration.
| Company | Added to S&P 500 | Headquarters | Tax Registration |
| Schlumberger | 1965 | New York | Netherlands Antilles |
| Carnival | 1998 | Florida | Panama |
| Transocean | 1999 | Texas | Cayman Islands |
| Ingersoll-Rand | 1956 | New Jersey | Bermuda |
| McDermott Int'l | 1971 | Louisiana | Panama |
| Tyco Int'l | 1989 | Bermuda | Bermuda |
| Noble Drilling | 2001 | Texas | Cayman Islands |
| Cooper Industries | 1956 | Texas | Bermuda |
| XL Capital | 2001 | Bermuda | Cayman Islands |
| Ace Limited | 2001 | Bermuda | Cayman Islands |
Source: Standard & Poor's
