External reporting of accounting and financial information via the Internet in Spain

This paper describes the current (July 1998) level of usage of Internet communication technologies by Spanish quoted companies for communication of financial and other information to interested parties. First, in order to place the communication activity in context, the current extent of Internet access in Spain is described. Second, a study of the websites which have been established by Spanish companies quoted on the Madrid Stock Exchange is reported. Finally, the paper discusses the actual and potential development of the Internet as a means of establishing ‘corporate dialogue’ (Spaul, 1997) with stakeholders.