TIDMAQX
RNS Number : 4273Q
Aquis Exchange PLC
26 February 2021
26 February 2021
Aquis Exchange PLC
("Aquis" or the "Company")
Trading and Operational Update
Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L), the exchange services group, is
pleased to announce a trading update for the 12 months to 31
December 2020, and an operational update on recent developments
across its three divisions.
Trading update
In its results for the 12 months to 31 December 2020, the
Company anticipates reporting revenues of no less than GBP11.0m,
marginally ahead of market expectations. In addition, the Company
expects to deliver its maiden full year pre and post-tax profit, a
performance ahead of market expectations.
Revenue growth has been driven in part by continued high levels
of trading on Aquis Exchange alongside strong technology sales,
with a number of clients having renewed licensing contracts at the
end of the year, and a growth in data revenues.
Aquis Exchange, the Company's pan-European equities trading
business
The Company's pan-European equities trading business is executed
across its two trading venues, London and Paris, in order to
facilitate the trading of EU-listed shares. Since 4 January 2021,
Aquis has seen 99% of its continuous European share trading move
across to its Paris venue and the Company is pleased to report a
smooth transition following Brexit. Service has remained constant
for its clients, and Aquis continues to provide the greatest depth
of available liquidity amongst its peers.
Following the UK government's agreement on equivalence with
Switzerland, the Company resumed trading in Swiss shares on 4
February 2021. The shares traded on Aquis Exchange's London venue
include some 130 key Swiss listed companies including Novartis,
Roche and Nestlé.
Aquis Technologies, the Company's multi-asset class technology
licensing service
Following on from the cloud deployment collaboration with the
Singapore Exchange and Amazon Web Services announced on 20 November
2020, Aquis Technologies is building a pipeline of potential
customers from across different asset classes and different
geographies.
Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE), the Company's primary listings
market for SMEs
Aquis is pleased to announce that Liberum, Panmure Gordon, Peel
Hunt and Zeus Capital have joined Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) as
corporate advisors, meaning these institutions are now able to
prepare applications and assess the suitability of companies for
admission to the AQSE Growth Market. This represents a further
endorsement of the Company's aim to develop the exchange into the
home of growth companies, and brings the total number of corporate
advisers to AQSE to 28.
There is a strong IPO pipeline for 2021, including the listing
of Samarkand Group. The cross-border eCommerce technology and
retail group announced on 8 February its intention to float on
AQSE, demonstrating our ability to compete with other UK exchanges
in the IPO market.
As part of its strategy to transform the UK listings space,
Aquis has also been participating in the UK Listings Review chaired
by Lord Hill. This review was launched in November 2020 by the
Chancellor, as part of a plan to strengthen the UK's position as a
leading global finance centre.
The Aquis Stock Exchange rulebook changes implemented in
December 2020 have been operating in practice for a number of
weeks, with new admissions to the Apex market required to publish a
growth prospectus, facilitating private investor participation in
Apex IPOs.
Alasdair Haynes, Chief Executive Officer of Aquis,
commented:
" We have long been well-prepared for Brexit-related changes and
are pleased to report the successful and seamless continuation of
our operations in the UK and the transfer of our European trading
business to the Paris office.
Despite the continued pandemic-related restrictions seen across
our markets, we continue to achieve substantial operational
progress and have beaten market expectations. Looking forward to
2021, we remain confident in our ability to execute against our
growth strategy."
This announcement contains inside information under UK MAR.
- Ends -
Enquiries:
Aquis Exchange PLC Tel: +44 (0) 20 3597 6321
Alasdair Haynes, CEO
Jonathan Clelland, CFO and COO
Belinda Keheyan, Head of Marketing +44 (0) 7768 078 110
Liberum Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000
and Joint Broker)
Clayton Bush
Chris Clarke
Edward Thomas
Kane Collings
Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7523 8000
Emma Gabriel (Corporate Broking)
Jeremy Grime (Specialist Sales)
Alma PR (Financial PR Adviser) Tel: +44 (0)20 3405 0209
Susie Hudson aquis@almapr.co.uk
Kieran Breheny
Faye Calow
Notes to editors:
Aquis Exchange PLC is an exchange services group, which operates
pan-European cash equities trading businesses (Aquis Exchange),
growth and regulated primary markets (Aquis Stock Exchange/AQSE)
and develops/licenses exchange software to third parties (Aquis
Technologies).
Aquis Exchange is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial
Conduct Authority and France's Autorité des Marchés Financiers to
operate Multilateral Trading Facility businesses in the UK and in
EU27 respectively. Aquis operates a lit order book and does not
allow aggressive non-client proprietary trading, which has resulted
in lower toxicity and signalling risk on Aquis than other trading
venues in Europe. According to independent studies, trades on Aquis
are less likely to lead to price movement than on other lit
markets. Aquis uses a subscription pricing model which works by
charging users according to the message traffic they generate,
rather than a percentage of the value of each stock that they
trade.
Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) is a stock market providing primary
and secondary markets for equity and debt products. It is
authorised as a Recognised Investment Exchange, which allows it to
operate a regulated listings venue. The AQSE Growth Market is
divided into two segments 'Access' and 'Apex', with different
levels of admission criteria. The Access market focuses on earlier
stage growth companies, while Apex is the intended market for
larger, more established businesses.
Aquis Technologies is the software and technology division of
Aquis Exchange PLC. It creates and licenses cutting-edge,
cost-effective matching engine and trade surveillance technology
for banks, brokers, investment firms and exchanges.
Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L) is listed on the Alternative
Investment Market of the LSE (AIM) market. For more information,
please go to www.aquis.eu
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END
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