Beyond the main FTSE 350 market, the Big Four continue to dominate the audit space, but there is some room for competition on AIM. In Accountancy's first exclusive survey on audit activity in the AIM 100 market, Philip Smith analyses audit fee income and audit tenure periods
Once characterised as the ‘casino’ of investment markets, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is beginning to come of age as it lists many significant companies that could easily sit within the more rigid structures of the FTSE main markets, including the FTSE 350. But even though AIM celebrated its 21st birthday last year, lighter regulation can deter all but the most experienced investors despite a change in government policy that allows AIM investments to sit in investors’ ISA portfolios.
Household names abound in the AIM 100, an index of the largest capitalised companies within AIM. Online retailer ASOS sits alongside hipster mixer Fever-Tree, chocolatiers Hotel Chocolat, bulk wine retailer Majestic Wine and advertising agency M&C Saatchi, Boohoo and Mulberry represent the fashion industry, while the venerable brewery Young & Co’s Brewery rubs shoulders with pollsters YouGov and the city listings publisher Time Out.
