PLUS-SX has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Interactive Investor, one of the UK's leading online financial services providers, to develop online trading for PLUS-SX stocks.
PLUS Stock Exchange Introduces New Services to Support Liquidity and Company Visibility
London, 14 June 2011 - PLUS Stock Exchange (PLUS-SX) today announces three new services to improve liquidity, visibility and issuer quality, and so enhance the value of its growth market for issuers and investors.
The initiatives continue PLUS-SX's commitment to the ongoing, proactive support of companies on its market, by addressing the challenges smaller, fast growing Interactive Investor offers independent, transparent tools and information for its 1.7 million registered users to resolve all their financial needs. PLUS-SX and Interactive Investor will collaborate to address their shared view that increased growth market liquidity is beneficial to all market participants. Simple access to trading in PLUS-SX growth companies online will be a major advancement in this area.
Online trading is expected to be delivered in H2 2011 and will be available through Interactive Investor's website, www.iii.co.uk. This will remove a key barrier many private investors currently experience when investing in PLUS-SX stocks by introducing electronic trading for the first time, facilitating buying and selling and thereby improving liquidity.
Raising visibility with PLUS Analytix
PLUS-SX plans to launch PLUS Analytix, a new web-based service designed to increase the visibility and liquidity of PLUS-SX issuers. The service is targeted at investors and is an analytical tool based on the factual information investors typically use when reaching investment decisions, including price/earnings ratios, performance against sector, historical data and trend analysis. PLUS Analytix seeks to address the current issue of a lack of broker research in PLUS-SX stocks.
Interactive Investor will be the first adopter of this new value added service, which will be calculated for all PLUS-SX issuers at no additional charge to them. Interactive Investor has committed through a Memorandum of Understandinanding to incorporate PLUS Analytix analytical tools on to its website in H2 2011.
Issuer use of the market to be advanced by PLUS-SX Mentor Programme
PLUS-SX has launched its PLUS-SX Mentor Programme, which provides PLUS-SX companies with access to a group of experienced market practitioners who will share their practical knowledge of public markets and offer guidance on a pro bono basis.
The Mentors will help and advise directors of pre-IPO and recently floated companies on how to achieve best practice in areas such as regulation, governance, investor communications, business growth, board building and financial planning. PLUS-SX Mentors include SME experts from: Royal Bank of Scotland (finance); Buchanan Communications (investor relations); RSM Tenon (accounting); Hamlins (legal).
Cyril Théret, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "PLUS-SX is seeking actively to address some of the issues experienced by many smaller quoted companies and investors interested in the smaller quoted company marketplace, particularly in the context that many investors have been more cautious in recent years and need more information on which to base their investment decisions. PLUS-SX recognises the active role we can play in bringing issuers and investors together, creating a virtuous circle of visibility, liquidity and investment."
Commenting on the partnership with PLUS-SX, Tomas Carruthers, CEO of Interactive Investor, said: "Interactive Investor's customers are active investors in small and fast growing companies. Giving them access to PLUS-SX listed stocks will further enhance Interactive Investor's position as the website of choice for self directed investors and is part of our ongoing development plan to open up all markets to private investors. It's an exciting development for us and for PLUS-SX."