On the PLUS side
Article Date: Oct 26 2006
Companies seeking admission to PLUS must now appoint a ‘corporate adviser’ to supervise the process, but the corporate adviser is not expected to take on the full regulatory duties of the equivalent ‘nominated adviser’ on AIM. The market itself vets – and vetoes – admissions and acts in what it describes as a ‘paternalistic’ fashion, giving guidance to corporate advisers and rapping knuckles, sometimes publicly, in what some claim is a welcome return of the ‘suasion’ of the Stock Exchange regulation of the old days.
PLUS began life 11 years ago as OFEX, founded by share dealer John Jenkins, to offer a relatively inexpensive and lightly regulated route to investment funds for young companies not ready for a full Stock Exchange listing. Initially, the market attracted two types of company: young groups wanting to fund early-stage growth before either moving onto a more senior exchange or merging with larger groups, and established groups, such as brewers or football clubs, whose owners were not interested in an active market for their shares but simply wanted a value established for tax, inheritance or other reasons.
Companies that have successfully moved from OFEX/PLUS to AIM include the online betting group Sportingbet, which reached a market value of £767 million before sector troubles took the wind out of its sails, and Chinese lottery operator Betex, another Hon company, which has a more modest £63 million price tag.
Among those now pondering a move from PLUS to AIM is Italy-focused energy explorer ATI Oil, whose boss Derek Musgrove says the company originally floated with a £500,000 private funding in late 2004. That was primarily to satisfy a key Swiss investor whose banks required him to have his investments on an ‘officially recognised’ market, a qualification that OFEX provided.
OFEX started to gain momentum in the late 1990s, at the same time as the dotcom boom was encouraging flocks of plausible entrepreneurs to raise cash for impressive-sounding online ventures. When the bubble burst, share traders deserted the market and it took a long time to re-establish itself.
Matters came to a head in 2004 and 2005 when OFEX Holdings, the company established to administer the market, had to stage an emergency refinancing. PLUS Markets Group became its successor, with City support. Now, steered by Brickles
and chaired by City investment professional Stephen Hazell-Smith, PLUS Markets Group, itself quoted on AIM, is busily putting the market back on the map. The name OFEX formally disappeared on 23rd October.
PLUS, which has attracted several prominent City market makers such as Close Brothers, KBC Peel Hunt and Teather & Greenwood, operates a quote-driven market for these companies. In addition, PLUS, which has applied for Recognised Investment Exchange status, provides a secondary trading platform for 830 London Stock Exchange-quoted companies, with a combined value of £120 billion. This includes all constituents of the FTSE Small Cap and Fledgling indices, 75 of the FTSE 250 index and 12 AIM counters.
Market motivations
For Jean Dong, bringing Global Education to PLUS was a way to raise the company’s public profile as well as a means to raise funds. Serial small company boss John French is chairman of PLUS-traded condom and allied products supplier Sexual Health Group and chairman of a PLUS advisory panel on secondary market issues. He says the market is ‘a nursery school’ for young companies and ‘a valuable entry market’.
In common with others, he argues, ‘the concept was right but, before the latest changes, it lacked credibility and support from the professionals. Now, the quality of transactions is better, the vetting and rules are much better and the market is getting increased support from institutional investors.’
Wendy Rosenthal, a high-powered American property manager who raised £300,000 on PLUS last year for leisure, property and retail consultant Hyper Entertainment, is enthusiastic. ‘It’s cheaper and less pressurised by regulation than the London Stock Exchange or AIM,’ she argues, ‘and, because it wins backing from Enterprise Investment Scheme investors who for tax reasons do not want to sell out fast, you are given a chance to grow your business.
‘Our subsidiary, Hyper Exhibitions, is helping stage an exhibition of Carnet jewellery by Michelle Ong in Glasgow starting this month. We could not have done that without a PLUS market rating.’
