Holland Bendelow have recently introduced the ‘The AIM Stock Exchange a Guide for Companies’. The AIM Stock Exchange, or The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) to give it its correct title, was established in 1995 by the London Stock Exchange as an international stock market for smaller and growing companies.
Since its launch AIM has become the most successful growth stock market in the world, in the main due to an international reputation for its comparatively flexible regulatory regime.
This whitepaper looks at how the AIM Stock Exchange can provide companies with the opportunity to raise funds at an earlier stage in their development than would normally be the case on other stock markets.
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The AIM Stock Exchange a Guide for Companies
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CONTENTS
1. WHAT IS THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE? 1
2. THE BENEFITS OF THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE 2
3. THE DRAWBACKS OF JOINING THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE 4
4. JOINING THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE 5
5. RAISING FUNDING ON THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE 8
6. THE COSTS OF JOINING THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE 9
7. OVERSEAS COMPANIES JOINING THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE 10
6. THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE GUIDE FOR COMPANIES PAGE 4
3. THE DRAWBACKS OF JOINING THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE
Whist the rules governing the AIM Stock Exchange are designed to provide a reasonable balance
between providing flexibility to a company and protection to the investor, there are a number of issues
that companies looking to join AIM may need to consider:
Flotation on the AIM Stock Exchange means that companies are subject to closer levels of
scrutiny
Following admission to the AIM Stock Exchange, the company will need to maintain good
investor relations. This will be an on‐going requirement, keeping investors aware of the
company’s development and future activities
Having joined the AIM Stock Exchange, a company’s share price may be susceptible to market
conditions
In addition to satisfying the regulatory hurdles to joining AIM, a company must have growth prospects
that are attractive to AIM Stock Exchange investors. This may depend on a variety of factors including:
Does the company have a credible business plan?
Is the business model clearly defined?
Does the company have demonstrable growth potential?
Does the management team have a track record?
Although the Combined Code on corporate governance is not applicable to AIM Stock Exchange
companies, AIM investors will expect to see that the principles of the code are applied to a company
where appropriate. In practise this will mean that a company will need to appoint at least 2 Non‐
Executive Directors.
7. THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE GUIDE FOR COMPANIES PAGE 5
4. JOINING THE AIM STOCK EXCHANGE
Companies listed on the AIM Stock Exchange, range from start‐up and young businesses to larger, more
established companies. The AIM Stock Exchange enables companies with short, or in some cases, no
trading record, to join the market.
There is no minimum requirement for companies joining AIM in terms of;
Size of a company when it joins the market
The period that a company has been trading
The number of shares that a company must put on the market
The number of employees the company has
The turnover of the company
The profitability of the company
AIM Stock Exchange timetable
The process of admission to the AIM Stock Exchange is usually between 3 to 6 months. However, for
many companies it is advisable to commence preliminary tasks ahead of this. This may include
undertaking a strategy review, and corporate governance issues. Because every company is different,
the speed and efficiency at which the information for the AIM admission document can be produced and
the depth of due diligence required will vary.
It is advisable to undertake an AIM feasibility study at the outset to establish if the company is
potentially suitable for AIM and what fundraisings may be possible.
What advisors will your company require?
An admission to The AIM Stock Exchange requires a company to assemble a team of advisors, each with
their own specialist skills, to assist the company in the process of flotation. In addition to the advisor
teams, companies operating in the mining, or oil and gas sectors may require particular specialists to
support the company and its advisors with the preparation of admission documentation.