AIM listings slow after five years of growth

NEW listings on AIM, London's junior stock exchange, have fallen in value terms for the first time in five years, new research reveals.

The value of new issues on AIM in 2007 was £6.5 billion, a drop of 35 per cent on 2006, while the total number of companies listing also dropped sharply, to 275 this year from 462 in 2006.

Ian Calder, director at Grant Thornton in Glasgow, said: "This is the first time in five years that the value of IPOs (initial public offerings] on AIM has not grown by at least 50 per cent year-on-year, and so, despite seeing the most funds raised in a month this June, overall it has proved to be a disappointing year in terms of growth."

According to Grant Thornton, there were 1,689 companies listed on AIM on 27 December, a net gain of just 55 year-on-year.

Scotland has around 70 companies on the market.

Stirling-based building insulation company Superglass was Scotland's largest AIM flotation of the year. Craneware and i-Design also listed on AIM, while DA Group has been placed in administration and Advanced Smartcard Technologies was sold.