Meet London’s newest stock exchange. PLUS Markets Group has been raising its profile recently. Its CEO, Simon Brickles, says that it now stands toe to toe with AIM as an option for small and growing businesses looking to go public.
Are you aware of the major changes taking place in our equity capital markets? If your shares are already listed or quoted in London, or if you’re thinking about flotation, there are more markets to choose from than ever. PLUS Markets is now central to providing competition and choice for businesses such as yours.
A new stock exchange
PLUS Markets Plc (PLUS) has recently been granted recognised investment exchange (RIE) status by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), giving it the same rights and privileges in the UK and Europe as other exchanges, including the London Stock Exchange. With RIE status, PLUS becomes London’s newest stock exchange, offering a deep pool of liquidity by enabling lower volume transactions at lower cost, with a full range of trading and listing solutions.
PLUS has been providing choice for trading in UK small and mid-cap shares in London since 2005. It now trades more than 1,000 shares, including the FTSE Small Cap, FTSE Fledgling, FTSE 250 and AIM, with a current total market capitalisation of almost £200bn. RIE status now enhances our reputation and underpins our ambition to provide efficient access to Europe’s widest pool of capital by increasing investor confidence.
The choice is yours
PLUS continues to offer the PLUS-quoted market, a regulated exchange dedicated to the needs of smaller, growing companies that are often seeking access to equity finance for the first time. Young companies are supported from the outset by a team of experts at PLUS, dedicated to helping executives make the right choices to take their businesses forward. Investors in PLUS-quoted companies also benefit from a range of tax advantages for smaller companies, designed to encourage growth.
PLUS’ RIE status ensures that institutional and retail investors can take part in fundraisings, both at the IPO stage and when companies raise further capital to finance their growth. As a result of our RIE status, we can also enable growing PLUS-quoted companies, that do want to access other EU regulated markets, the chance to do so directly through the PLUS-listed market.
Alternative to AIM
More than 200 small and mid-cap companies are on the PLUS-quoted market, which offers investors an alternative to AIM. Companies typically join the PLUS-quoted market because it offers profile, liquidity, an audience receptive to growth and an environment where management can devote their energies to running the business on a daily basis.
The application procedure is smooth and straightforward. Applicants need to secure the services of a PLUS corporate adviser which acts as an introducer of companies. They will also be supported by specialists in law, accountancy/audit, financial PR if appropriate and a registrar.
Quality is the catch word. While the requirements are sufficiently flexible to enable a company to grow unencumbered by restrictive and unnecessary regulation, the PLUS regulatory framework is robust, driven by a desire to provide investors with access to new, exciting prospects that are well prepared and ready for life on a public market. Do you fit the bill?
