IN THIS day and age, one would be forgiven for assuming that all quoted companies maintain a comprehensive internet presence for the benefit of their investors, customers and staff. So the fact that some Aim-quoted companies still can’t be bothered to have a website is truly shocking.
Companies listed on the junior exchange were rightly given a 20 August deadline six months ago to set up a website containing basic information, such as details of board members, dates of results and annual meetings.
However, a recent survey of 152 Aim-quoted companies by Speechly Bircham, the law firm, revealed that 16% of respondents had no website at all and only 15% had a site that met regulatory standards. There are 1,684 companies quoted on Aim so the survey’s figures, representative of the mix of companies on the market, is deeply worrying.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE), which runs Aim, has the power to fine and kick out businesses that don’t comply. The LSE says it will begin contacting the nominated advisers (nomads) to those companies still refusing to comply after the deadline expires to insist that full information is put on the web.
