AIM

AIM is the London Stock Exchange’s market for smaller, growing companies. Established in 1995, over 3,200 companies have listed on AIM, raising over £72 billion.

In April 2002, RFC became the first Australian based Nominated Adviser (NOMAD) for companies listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and to this day remains the only non-UK based active AIM Nomad.

RFC has a strong mining/oil & gas/basic industrials focus, particularly in the Australasian and South East Asian region.

RFC currently acts as NOMAD for the following companies:

• Continental Coal Limited
• EMED Mining Public Limited
• Forte Energy NL
• ICB Financial Group Holdings AG
• Kalimantan Gold Corporation Limited
• Mariana Resources Ltd
• PureCircle Limited
• Range Resources Ltd
• Solomon Gold Plc
• Steppe Cement Ltd
• Tangiers Petroleum Limited

RFC has previously acted as NOMAD for a range of other AIM companies:

• Albidon Limited
• Ballarat Goldfields NL
• Consolidated Minerals Limited
• DiamonEx Limited
• Discovery Metals Limited
• Elixir Petroleum Limited
• Elkedra Diamonds NL
• Eurogold Limited
• Finders Resources Ltd
• Gravity Diamonds Limited
• Kimberley Diamond Company NL
• Matra Petroleum plc
• Moto Goldmines Ltd
• Murchison United NL
• Oilex Ltd

View completed AIM assignments >

Attractiveness of AIM

The eligibility and ongoing requirements are more flexible than the LSE’s main board market, including:

• no minimum size requirement;
• no minimum trading track record requirement;
• no minimum shareholder spread requirement; and
• no requirement for companies to be domiciled in the UK.

AIM thereby provides an avenue for smaller and earlier stage companies to list in London and gain exposure and access to the deep pool of UK and European based institutional capital.

Suitability of AIM for resource companies

An AIM listing is well suited to certain resource and energy sector companies. London has a long history as a leading centre of global mining capital. It is home to some of the largest resource funds, a deep pool of analysts and four of the major diversified mining houses, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Xstrata, are listed in London.

Further details on AIM can be found on the website of the London Stock Exchange and in the presentation – “Understanding & Comparing AIM with Alternative Equity Markets”.

The role of an AIM Nomad

Every AIM company must appoint and then retain both a Nomad and a broker at all times.

The Nomad plays a pivotal role during the initial admission process and advising thereafter. They are also the company’s principal point of contact with the exchange and have a duty to ensure the company complies with AIM rules.

Further details on the role of the Nomad are contained in the presentation – “The Nomad – The Regulatory and Corporate Adviser”.

The listing process

Listing on AIM is a simple process. The fast track “designated markets” route introduced in June 2003 makes it even simpler for companies that have been listed on another approved exchange (including the ASX) for at least 18 months.

RFC’s expertise

RFC is unique in being the only Australian based specialist resource sector investment and advisory business which is also an AIM Nomad. We believe we offer substantial benefits to resource sector and/or ASX listed companies over other Nomads. Advantages offered by RFC include:  

• Experience – In nine years as a Nomad RFC has completed 12 full admissions, 1 readmission, 8 fast-track listings and has assumed the role of Nomad for 3 existing AIM listed companies.
• Resource specialist – RFC executives have resource sector expertise with a combination of technical and commercial backgrounds. We are better placed to understand resource sector businesses.
• Price competitive – Because of our sector expertise we are able to complete many due diligence tasks in-house resulting in significant savings in the total cost of the initial admission process.
• Market understanding - We have a strong understanding of both the Australian and UK regulatory environments for listed companies and know how to deal with conflicts encountered by dual listed companies to the satisfaction of all regulators.
• Well regarded - We are well regarded by investment institutions, which help with the development of general market interest in our clients and with capital raisings.
• Broker independence - We are independent of, but have a good understanding of the UK brokers with strength in the resources sector, and have established working relationships with many of them. We are therefore able to assist companies to retain an appropriate broker.
• Connections - We are well connected in the resource industry and therefore well placed to assist our AIM clients with general corporate and industry advice they may require (ie identification of value accretive acquisition opportunities, asset disposals, debt and equity funding and assistance with execution).
• Time zone advantage - RFC has AIM qualified executives based in Sydney and Perth that are available to provide advice during normal Australian business hours and are therefore able to more easily manage the admission process and ongoing regulatory requirements than UK based firms.
• Client service orientation - RFC’s Nomad clients are all serviced by senior RFC corporate advisory executives who understand the clients’ businesses and are focussed on providing value adding advice in the role of Nomad. We take a commercial approach to advising and working alongside our clients.

For enquiries and further details about RFC’s Nomad services, please feel free to contact us