AIM may not be an easy alternative to Nasdaq

We've discussed the rise of the London Stock Exchange before. Clearly, it's continuing to enjoy a banner year for initial public offerings. And more companies around the world are seeing it as a prime offering venue. The LSE hosted more offerings last year than all U.S. exchanges combined. The reasons for this have been debated vigorously. Predictably, some say that Sarbox is pushing issuers abroad. The fees charged by premier U.S. investment banks certainly do not help. But here's a new wrinkle in the debate: AIM's aftermarket seems like a lousy place to be when compared to the Nasdaq. A new study by M&A boutique Innovation Advisors has found that after two years, AIM companies lost 57 percent, while Nasdaq companies gained 12 percent. After the third year, returns for AIM companies were negative 65 percent versus a negative 26 percent for Nasdaq.

For more on the LSE:
- here's an article from BusinessDay.

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