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Why firms favour the AIM when they can list on main market?

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  • Doukas, John A.
  • Hoque, Hafiz

Abstract

It is often argued that the popularity of Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in terms of higher number of listings relative to the Main Market (MM) is mainly due to the strict listing requirements in the MM. During the 1995 to 2014 period, 577 out of 1143 AIM listed firms did not qualify for MM listing, but the rest (566) that raised equity in AIM could have joined the MM. This raises the question why firms that meet the heavier regulatory environment of the MM choose the AIM, a lighter regulatory environment. This paper subjects this question to a comprehensive investigation and finds that the market choice is a self-selection decision. The two markets attract companies with different characteristics, and dissimilar post-listing investment and financing priorities. The evidence also shows that smaller and younger companies choose to be listed on the AIM due to lower listing and on-going costs. Heckman Selection models addressing the important question of what would have been the operating performance if AIM companies joined MM indicate that AIM companies would not perform better had they selected to go public in the MM.

Suggested Citation

  • Doukas, John A. & Hoque, Hafiz, 2016. "Why firms favour the AIM when they can list on main market?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 378-404.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:60:y:2016:i:c:p:378-404
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2015.10.001
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    Cited by:

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    4. Kontoghiorghes, Alex, 2022. "Do personal taxes affect investment decisions and stock returns?," Bank of England working papers 988, Bank of England.
    5. Cécile Carpentier & Jean-Marc Suret, 2018. "Entrepreneurs and Junior Markets: An Assessment," CIRANO Working Papers 2018s-18, CIRANO.
    6. Valérie Revest & Alessandro Sapio, 2019. "Alternative equity markets and firm creation," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 1083-1118, July.
    7. Hafiz Hoque, 2022. "Endogenous market choice, listing regulations and IPO spread: Evidence from the London Stock Exchange," Working Papers 2022-02, Swansea University, School of Management.
    8. Valérie Revest & Alessandro Sapio, 2019. "Alternative equity markets and firm creation," Post-Print halshs-02169726, HAL.
    9. Caroline Granier & Valérie Revest & Alessandro Sapio, 2019. "SMEs and junior stock markets : a comparison between European and Japanese markets," Post-Print halshs-02097577, HAL.
    10. Elisabeth de Fontenay & Josefin Meyer & Mitu Gulati, 2019. "The sovereign debt listing puzzle," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 71(2), pages 472-495.
    11. Hoque, Hafiz & Mu, Shaolong, 2019. "Partial private sector oversight in China's A-share IPO market: An empirical study of the sponsorship system," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 15-37.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    AIM; London MM; IPOs; M&As; SEOs; Dividends;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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