What next for PLUS companies?

SMALL CAPS

The agreement between PLUS Markets and ICAP for the sale of the PLUS SX and its coveted Recognised Investment Exchange status provides some certainty to the small-cap community, which has been awaiting the fate of PLUS for months.

PLUS Markets has a number of different limbs which are now certain to be split apart.  Most notably, it is a market operator under MIFID, (the Market In Financial Instruments Directive) which gives it recognised investment exchange status.  This allows it in its capacity as a market operator to offer a regulated market and a multi-lateral trading facility.  There are only four licences to operate a regulated market in operation currently in the UK and they are held by LIFFE, the London Stock Exchange, The London Metal Exchange and PLUS Markets Group. PLUS Markets also operates a de...