Barrick shares closed up $1.32, or 7.5%, at $18.91 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Despite the investor enthusiasm, shareholders at the company's annual meeting here Wednesday voted against Barrick's executive-compensation proposals, in a nonbinding, but symbolic, protest vote against a $17 million pay package for the company's new co-chairman, John Thornton. Barrick shareholders reject executive compensation resolution at tumultuous AGM (TheStarPhoenix) Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX) said it would "carefully consider" an unprecedented rejection by shareholders of the company's executive compensation plan on Wednesday, even as management strongly defended a record payment given to the co-chairman.