News

Vindon grabs opportunity for outsourced contracts

Vindon Healthcare shares are finally starting to reflect the company's prospects. The high level of contractual earnings provides a strong and growing base for the business. Read more 'Vindon grabs opportunity for outsourced contracts'

Tags: vindon, support services

Premier buy

A disappointing first half performance by display marketing group Premier Direct was offset by the prospects for the UK Oriflame business which Premier has bought this month. Read more 'Premier buy'

Tags: premier direct, general retailers

BBI's diagnostic alchemy

Rapid diagnostic tests manufacturer BBI has acquired Alchemy, its main rival in the UK. BBI and Alchemy both manufacture gold colloids and conjugate used in diagnostic tests as well as some of the tests themselves. The deal will increase BBI's manufacturing capacity. It needed to find back-up manufacturing facilities because some customers require suppliers to manufacture on two sites. Read more 'BBI's diagnostic alchemy'

Tags: bbi, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology

Aspen Clean Energy looks for another aquisition

Aspen Clean Energy is selling its operating subsidiary less than six months after it bought the business. The shell will then look for another environmental business to acquire. Read more 'Aspen Clean Energy looks for another aquisition'

Tags: aspen clean energy

Walker recovers

Improvements in all businesses helped furnishings and wallcoverings supplier Walker Greenbank move near to breakeven in 2005. In the medium-term it will benefit from the return to fashion of wallpaper. Read more 'Walker recovers'

Tags: walker greenbank, household goods

Property pushes Sigma forward

Sigma Technology's widening of its investment management and corporate advisory business is beginning to pay off. Si Management, its property investment management subsidiary, contributed the majority of group revenues in 2005. Read more 'Property pushes Sigma forward'

Tags: sigma technology, general financial

Formjet hope

Software distributor Formjet hopes it will do much better this year than in 2005 when it slumped into loss. A new sales director has been appointed and Formjet should at least move back into profit in 2006. Read more 'Formjet hope'

Tags: formjet, software & computer services

Zetar makes second aquisition

Confectionery maker Zetar has made its second acquisition since joining AIM last year. Readifoods widens its product range to include dried fruit and nuts. Read more 'Zetar makes second aquisition'

Tags: zetar

Robinson injects new business

Plastic and paperboard packaging supplier Robinson is paying £2.8m for plastic injection moulded packaging supplier VR Plastics. Read more 'Robinson injects new business'

Tags: robinson, general industrials

Gladstone back on track

Gladstone's new chief executive Said Ziai appears to have got the membership management software provider back on track. Read more 'Gladstone back on track'

Tags: gladstone

Pure Wafer's polished performance

Silicon wafer recycler Pure Wafer moved into profit at the half way stage and investment in new capital equipment will enable further growth over the next few years. Read more 'Pure Wafer's polished performance'

Tags: pure wafer, technology hardware & equipment

121 Media sees surge in interest following "free" broadband

Web advertising monitoring software specialist 121 Media says it has seen a surge in interest following the launch of a "free" broadband service by Carphone Warehouse. Read more '121 Media sees surge in interest following "free" broadband'

Tags: 121 media

Small screen indies undergo makeover

British television has undergone a serious makeover in the last few years, not simply on the back of the realitydominated schedules but behind the scenes. Read more 'Small screen indies undergo makeover'

Tags: british television

Ten Alps takes a different expansion approach

Ten Alps is taking a different expansion route to its peers. On top of the TV programmes it produces it plans to start targeted digital TV channels. The success of Teachers' TV has prompted Tan Alps' chief executive Alex Connock to look for other opportunities. He believes that the convergence of the internet, TV and publishing provides scope to repeat the Teachers' TV model in niche sectors. Read more 'Ten Alps takes a different expansion approach'

Tags: ten alps

New issues

More Russian investment from Baltic Oil Terminals

Baltic Oil Terminals intends to invest in oil infrastructure projects in Russia and the Former Soviet Union. Read more 'More Russian investment from Baltic Oil Terminals'

Tags: baltic oil terminals

CAP-XX has capacity to motor

CAP-XX believes that its supercapacitor technology can increase the run-time of portable electronic devices. The Australiabased company has joined AIM to raise cash to finance their development and marketing. The increasing complexity of devices such as mobile phones means that there will be plenty of electronics companies interested in the technology if it is shown to work. Read more 'CAP-XX has capacity to motor'

Tags: cap-xx

Pawnbroker returns to market

H&T, Britain's largest pawnbroking business, has joined AIM. It has 69 branches which is a similar number to its AIM-quoted rival Albemarle & Bond but H&T has a larger pawnbroking book. H&T also offers cheque cashing and pre-paid debit cards. Its customer base is people who find it difficult to borrow money from banks. Read more 'Pawnbroker returns to market'

Tags: h&t

Turbotec

Turbotec is the UK-based holding company for a US company that makes heat exchangers and other components for the heat transfer, transport and plumbing markets. They can be used in heating, refrigeration and air conditioning as well as for biomedical activities such as blood or intravenous fluid heat exchangers. The business has been trading since 1978. Read more 'Turbotec'

Tags: turbotec

Burst Media

Internet advertising is the fastest growing segment of the total advertising market. It was worth $12.9bn in 2005 and is forecast to rise to $21bn in 2008. Burst Media is the 16th largest internet advertising sales company in the US and it also has a business in the UK. Read more 'Burst Media'

Tags: burst media

Cape's cast iron project

Cape Lambert is developing an iron ore project in Western Australia. It is already listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and has seen its value double since early March. Read more 'Cape's cast iron project'

Tags: cape lambert

International interest in AIM remains strong

An active March IPO market resulted in a strong new issues performance for AIM in Q1 of 2006, with a significant contribution being made by overseas companies joining the market. In total over £2bn was raised by 77 new companies joining AIM and 21 of the 28 re-admissions following reverse takeover. Read more 'International interest in AIM remains strong'

Tags: bdo stoy hayward

Where to invest

Next Fifteen rides technology recovery

As the technology sector recovers the companies gain more confidence and start to spend more on marketing and PR. This can be seen by the fact that the technology PR market is set to grow faster than overall economic growth. Read more 'Next Fifteen rides technology recovery'

Tags: next fifteen, media

Features

Trust AIM with your assets

Gordon Brown's decision to tax trusts designed to offset the impact of inheritance tax is being tipped to give a major boost to the use of AIM stocks in IHT tax planning. Read more 'Trust AIM with your assets'

Tags: inheritance tax

Expert views

Code Read: new rules on company takeovers

MELANIE WADSWORTH of Faegre & Benson LLP considers proposed changes to the rules regulating takeovers in the UK. Read more 'Code Read: new rules on company takeovers'

Tags: faegre & benson

Steady as she goes - few clouds so far on the horizon for AIM

CHARLES SIMPSON of Saffery Champness Corporate Finance takes a look back at a successful start to the year for the market. AIM is breezing through the second quarter of 2006 with very few clouds on the immediate horizon... Read more 'Steady as she goes - few clouds so far on the horizon for AIM'

Tags: saffery champness corporate finance