London is one of the important centers of international business and is one of the three command centers for the global economy. It is currently the largest financial center of the world and the London share market is reaping the benefits of this economic boom. The London Stock Exchange, subdivided into the Main Market, Alternative Investment Markets and the EDX London, is the largest stock exchange of the world.
The share trading in the London Stock Exchange is brilliant and it features some of the biggest companies in the world. It is one of the leading equity exchanges and it aims to compete in the global market for financial transaction services. The shareholders can conduct their business successfully in this 300-year-old organization.
Alternative Investments Market:
The regulatory system of the Alternative Investments Market is not as stringent as the Main Market. The smaller companies can float their shares here without much hassle because of its very flexible regime. There are more than 2200 companies listed here. Here there is no need for any capitalization and no stipulated amount of number of shares issued. The FTSE GROUP, which is a joint venture of the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Times, has three indexes for measurements. They are:
- FTSE AIM US 50 Index
- FTSE AIM US 100 Index
- FTSE AIM All Share Index
EDX London:
This is a derivative exchange where the participants can trade in both standardized and flexible futures and options.
A host of historical and reference data products are provided for the convenience of the players in the London share market. Besides, market data collected from the leading stock exchanges of the world is received and distributed here. IR Solutions is the new service on the block where tools are offered to the quoted companies to make their financial communications effective. In 2006, London Stock Exchange also introduced a scheme whereby market makers can advertise larger sizes in tighter spreads in less liquid stocks. The value added services cater to the small, medium and large companies.