Growth Companies’ Issues on AIM

Last week Heather attended the Growth Company Investor seminar about New Issues on AIM. As usual GCI’s team of researchers had produced some intriguing data:

• £1billion raised during 2008, less than 14% of the £6.25 billion generated in 2007

• Food is the best performing sector on AIM

• The most active NOMAD is Seymour Pierce with 6 IPOs, for which it helped raise £117.9 million

• Investment fund specialist, Fairfax, raised 2nd highest amount via the single £116 million transaction for the Terra Catalyst Fund

• Leading NOMAD in terms of client price performance was WH Ireland

• Cenkos, Grant Thornton and KBC Peel Hunt all completed 5 floats apiece

• Collins Stewart’s two IPO clients performed strongly – acquisitive shell Marwyn Materials up 55% and Yangtze down only 8%

• The most active accountants are Deloitte and KPMG, jointly with 9 clients each followed by specialists Grant Thornton and Baker Tilly with 8 each