Alternative investments

The Alternative Investment Market is well on target with 117 companies trading on the markets. It was set up in June 1995 as an alternative to the Stock Exchange for small and medium-sized companies wanting to deal and raise new capital. A sluggish start was attributed to fears that too few companies would join, and also that institutional investors would find the stocks too risky and stay away. These have proved unfounded, although relatively few design groups have taken advantage of the new market.