AIM, once seen as a stepping stone for hundreds of small companies wanting to list on the exchange’s main market, has been trying for years—decades even—to get past its reputation as a volatile venue where corporate blowups are commonplace.
And for many investors and companies, it’s succeeded. A greater proportion of companies listed on AIM are profitable. Such stocks accounted for the highest percentage of the exchange’s market value in its history recently. Why? For one thing, more companies are staying on AIM even as their market valuations have ballooned.