Recent Event Highlights: Aim gains first 2010 member, but don't expect a rush, The welcome shrinkage of junior market's long tail, Roller coaster ride to get Venue Solutions off ground, Songbird Estates joins the flock raising funds at Aim , Roc Oil sends chill wind through Aim community, Expect more micro cap fundraisers, and 36 more...
Created by dipity on May 11, 2009
Last updated: 02/20/10 at 02:57 PM
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It could be a close run thing today as Trading Emissions shareholders vote on whether to approve the company's merger with Leaf Clean Energy Company, writes Philip Stafford
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/a22f6a94-1cf5-11df-aef7-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The London Stock Exchange statistics for January show no sign of a decline in the number of companies leaving the junior market
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/26c4aa5a-172c-11df-94f6-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
There is no lack of optimism in the Aim world at the moment, including plenty of talk about a pipeline of companies just itching to join the junior market
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/483762e6-11ae-11df-bceb-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The struggles of two very different companies that were due to list this week
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/ad784876-0c47-11df-8b81-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
A company founded by a group of American doctors who claim to have a unique face cream that holds back the inevitable advance of wrinkles has struggled to get it to market
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/3430a078-06b4-11df-b426-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Investment opportunity in reasonably sized junior companies has almost doubled as now 147 companies have a market capitalisation of more than £100m
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2411f4c-0128-11df-8c54-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Tim Ward, head of the Quoted Companies Alliance, is calling for the Treasury to set up a working group 'to design an appropriate structure for equity markets for the UK', but a better route is to follow the example of Christine Lagarde, the French finance minister, who has appointed a consultant to consider a small business listings act
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/cfb15138-fbaa-11de-9c29-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The quality of innovation necessary for all small companies struggling to grow in a recession has not been restricted to their business models. Their powers of invention have also been extended to the method of raising funds
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/17c596ba-eb2e-11de-bc99-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Aim should be an incubator market for companies planning to grow into candidates for the full list. So what better guide is there to companies with reasonable prospects than a man who has already made a fortune by using Aim as its founders intended?
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/c3989072-e5ad-11de-b5d7-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Aim's purpose as a nurturer of companies before they move to the main market has been dented by events that suggest trouble ahead when a full listing is announced
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/e8034fa0-e031-11de-8494-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
In business terms there has not been a more classic case of Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare for Relax
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b685c574-dab0-11de-933d-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The record £600,000 fine for numerous, serious breaches of Aim rules has turned the spotlight on to the junior market's regulation
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/06189448-d52c-11de-81ee-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
It is not just the companies on the junior market that suffer over lack of liquidity, all quoted companies below a certain size are affected
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/472e6240-cfb0-11de-a36d-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The Aim conference agenda looks like a return to basics for the exchange, which has diverted energy to recruiting overseas companies in recent years rather than focusing on British business
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/825039d2-c4ae-11de-8d54-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Oliver Iny is anxious to hang on to the Aim quote for Venue Solutions, where he is chief executive, convinced that, once the company is on an even keel, institutional investors will see the potential value
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/066a00ca-bf1b-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Indian companies with Aim quotes appear to be returning to the domestic market to raise money – however, there are only two Aim-listed business in the country
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/56986262-b9a3-11de-a747-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Renewable Energy Generation is planning to sell off its Canadian wind farms for C$119m as investors and banks shun its efforts to raise funds
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9ce4792-b41c-11de-bec8-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
A knowledge of how soap operas are put together might not be considered of much use to fund managers. But there is always an exception to be found on Aim and FDM is turning out to be such a case
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/309c3f74-aea0-11de-96d7-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Songbird Estates has announced one of Aim's biggest fundraisings, with a complex package to bring in more than £1bn to help repay debt
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/64b233ba-a926-11de-9b7f-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The London Stock Exchange dream that Aim might become the market of choice for small overseas companies is starting to fade
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/bf2e464e-a3ea-11de-9fed-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The junior stock exchange is tackling the perennial problem of illiquidity in small cap stocks with a proposal to share revenue from its data sales with its marketmakers
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/c462380a-9e22-11de-b0aa-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Open offers from micro caps are a bit like buses at the moment. You wait ages for one to turn up, then another follows quickly
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/dff9a68a-8823-11de-82e4-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
There is nothing like an early profits warning to knock the stuffing out of new shares. They fell from a placing price of 82p and have bumbled along with little liquidity since. So it is no surprise that some investors are keen to sell at 12p a share to Cyberplex
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/726213c2-829d-11de-ab4a-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
African Eagle's managing director Mark Parker searched on Google to untangle the changes to regulations that allowed the company to make an open offer
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/ccd88f68-7d1e-11de-b8ee-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Board of Aim-listed Belgian telecoms group narrows down to a single non-executive chairman
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1cdf27e-779f-11de-9713-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Superbugs, Michael Jackson and a former Tory leader are the unlikely stars of a tale of an Aim minnow
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/4eecea0a-7223-11de-ba94-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
News of a couple of fundraisings a month ago, coupled with an encouraging set of statistics for the month of May, suggested that the appetite for risk was making a comeback on Aim, but the tide is still on the ebb
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/ffde2826-6c9f-11de-a6e6-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
New head leaves no doubt as to the significance of small companies and the role the Aim can play in bridging the funding gap
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b449be4e-6726-11de-925f-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Nominated advisers that bring companies to the Alternative Investment Market will attend the annual conference hosted by Lawrence Graham, the law firm
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/34c151ca-61a7-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
An obscure Aim-listed oil and gas exploration company two years ago raised £11m at 3¾p a share and this week was bought for £115m
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/20eb8f8a-5c20-11de-aea3-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Plus announced last September it would be taking the LSE to court over a rule that it claimed prevented trading in Aim securities on other markets. The group,was attacking the rule as 'unnecessary and disproportionate, representing an abuse of the LSE's dominant market position'
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b1ba253c-5124-11de-8922-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
It should be boom time for the UK's emerging renewables and clean energy technology companies
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/44528ce6-4ba7-11de-b827-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Iodine is a chemical element that is essential to humans, but not easy to find in commercial quantities. The inhabitants of Wales can ingest sufficient iodine by eating the national delicacy known as laverbread, a type of seaweed. But for most of us it is consumed as an additive in table salt
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/ba851308-4935-11de-9e19-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The lunacy of the scramble to join Aim reached a peak in mid-October 2007, when among candidates vying for investors' attention were Japan Leisure Hotels, Boomerang Plus and China Pub Company, whose adventures have been as varied as their businesses
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/3e78e5cc-4620-11de-803f-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Next Fifteen Communications must find it flattering to be wooed by a couple of lords with a view to marriage
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/25b2154c-40d3-11de-8f18-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The news that Hanson Westhouse was reversing on to Aim and has attracted many big-hitting names to serve on its board has to be a tonic for the small-cap market
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/2a292fd2-3b1c-11de-ba91-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
If you Google "OPD", one of the top sites thrown up is "Officially Pronounced Dead – the Great Beatle Death Conspiracy". Readers of a certain age will remember the speculation about Paul McCartney's whereabouts following the release of the Abbey Road album, with its iconic cover.
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b074e684-38de-11de-8cfe-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
New Britain is the first plantation company to arrive on the London market for two generations. It might not have been enough to revive the sector, but it has at least sparked renewed interest
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/0ce2f758-35a6-11de-a997-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The exceptional cost to fight off the hostile bid from bigger Canadian rival Constellation Software knocked pre-tax profits from £756,000 to £98,000, says David Blackwell
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/9e946f4a-30d5-11de-bc38-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The tragedy that is unfolding as many small companies across Britain struggle with the credit crunch is encapsulated by the story of General Capital Group
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/0f98c154-3023-11de-88e3-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Two weeks ago the shares of EG Solutions, a small software company in the Midlands, rose more than 80 per cent in a single day. There was little volume behind the buying and after investigation with its brokers, the company said it knew of no reason for the rise. This isn't an isolated incident, but it illustrates the problem of liquidity on London's junior market
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/c57bb08a-2aa6-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Seven Arts Pictures joined Aim in 2004, but had to leave in February 2007 when Insinger de Beaufort decided to stop being a nominated adviser. So it decided to switch to Plus, which it saw as an upcoming market better suited to its needs with the additional benefit of lower costs. However, nothing happened
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/7369102a-25ed-11de-be57-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Quoted professional services companies can be found in many different market sectors, including the obvious general financial and the less obvious real estate
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe0a85ec-1fa3-11de-a7a5-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
It was refreshing to find a cheerful Aim chief executive. "The world is going to hell out there, but we are succeeding," says Peter Bance, of Ceres Power.
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/96685e82-1a2b-11de-9f91-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Aim is on a knife-edge as companies continue to delist
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/b3b19502-14aa-11de-8cd1-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Another 19 companies left the Aim junior market in February. Some are going with a good deal more grace than others while other companies have been ready to take advantage of Aim when it suits them, only to quit once the going gets tough.
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ba496a6-0f41-11de-ba10-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Survey reveals remarkably upbeat attitude to membership of the market despite the turbulence of recent months
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/86862f28-09cb-11de-add8-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
One of the biggest companies to join Plus Markets for many years arrives next week.
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f6b7497c-042f-11de-845b-000077b07658.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
The boards of many small companies must be in despair over what needs to be done to attract investors while the markets are in the doldrums. They could do worse than obtain a copy of Fairfax's Beating the Bears, a research note that includes a checklist designed to discover the best small-cap propositions
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/93ff86c8-fea8-11dd-b19a-000077b07658.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
Beautiful Books is looking for funding to back up the success of 'Glassblower or Murano'
http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/784c8756-f92a-11dd-ab7f-000077b07658.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnists%2Fdavidblackwell
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