What is the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)?
The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is the world’s leading market for smaller, growing companies from across the globe. It offers such companies, from any sector, the chance to go public at an earlier stage in their development.
Since AIM’s inception in 1995, over 3,000 admissions have been completed and more than £75 billion has been raised in total, helping companies to fund future growth and the expansion of their businesses.
Alternative Investment Market (AIM) – a growing market
In 1995, there were less than 200 admissions to the AIM compared to around 1,700 by 2007. By June 2011 the total market value of all companies on AIM was over £75 billion, demonstrating the increasing appeal that this market holds.
Below we have listed some key facts and figures to give an indication of the extent of the AIM market (as at end June 2011):
Number of companies: 1,151
- UK companies: 928
- non-UK companies: 223
Number of admissions:
- total raised capital: £75.6 billion
- UK admissions: 2,686
- non-UK admissions: 552
Active share trading from Jun 10 - 11
- total turnover value: £40.2 billion
- number of bargains: 55,447,219
Compared with the following share trading figures for the whole of 2010:
- total turnover value: £32.7 billion
- number of bargains: 4,061,949
What does an AIM quotation offer?
- A flexible regulatory regime
- Access to a unique, globally respected market
- Access to a wide pool of capital
- Enhanced profile – resulting in heightened interest in your company
- Increased status and credibility
- Currency for and easier rules on acquisition
- Eligibility for a range of tax benefits
AIM and its international appeal
AIM is open to companies from all over the world and as a result is becoming an increasingly popular market for overseas companies. The following statistics illustrate AIM’s international appeal:
- 552 international companies admitted to AIM since its launch in 1995
- 28 countries represented on AIM
AIM designated markets route
For overseas companies seeking a listing on AIM, the process of achieving the listing is simplified if they are already traded on one of the ‘AIM Designated Markets’, including:
- Australian Stock Exchange
- NASDAQ
- Euronext
- NYSE
- Deutsche Börse
- Stockholmsbörsen
- JSE Securities Exchange
- Swiss Exchange
- South Africa
- Toronto Exchange
The next step
If you would like to discuss the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in more detail, please contact one of our AIM specialists at your nearest location or complete our contact form.
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We acted as reporting accountants and auditors on the recent AIM listing of TMT Investments plc, the telecoms and technology investments group.
New research from UHY Hacker Young and Trowers & Hamlins LLP, the City law firm, suggests that AIM is reaching a turning point in its return to normality with an influx of new issues and a sharp fall in the number of delistings. During 2010 the number of companies leaving AIM fell by 44% from 280 in 2009 to 157. 
The costs of listing on AIM have continued to increase over the last year to reach an average of 7.0% of all funds raised, up from 6.7% in the previous 12 months, reveals our research.
The percentage of AIM IPOs that have been forced into last minute cancellations in 2008 increased to 12.3% of all announced IPOs from 10.4% of all AIM IPOs in 2007 our research reveals.
