Latest to go tieless (or jacketless) is CoorsTek's John Coors, chairman, president and chief executive of this supplier to the semiconductor capital equipment industry worldwide—"whatever that means," observed Sid Cato, who has monitored annuals full time for 18 years. CoorsTek came into being Jan. 1, 2000.

Cato said his studies indicate one in four CEOs (23.9 percent) is pictured dressed somewhat casually in 2000 annual reports, double the 11.5 percent when he began monitoring this element—among 1998 annuals worldwide.

In the July issue (No. 215) of his Newsletter on Annual Reports, he said that of the 205 annuals he has analyzed to date, "using proprietary computer programs conceived in 1983," only 20 (one in 10) so far have scored at least 100 of a potential 135 points against his copyrighted criteria on what makes a good report.