AQSE expands research for its top-tier stocks

RNS Reach

27 May 2021

Aquis Exchange PLC

("Aquis" or the "Company")

AQSE expands research for its top-tier stocks

AQSE adds quantitative research by Fregnan for Apex stocks and enters partnership with Research Tree to provide portal for existing fundamental research on Apex stocks

Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L), the exchange services group, is pleased to announce that its equities listing division Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) has entered into arrangements with Fregnan Ltd and Research Tree Ltd. to produce and publish research on AQSE's top-tier Apex stocks.

AQSE recognises that research is a very important component of the decision-making process around the purchase and sale of stocks. In recent years, research has been declining, particularly in small and mid-cap stocks. At the time of its acquisition of AQSE, Aquis stated that one of its aims for the new business was to address this lack of research. Today's announcement is a great step forward in the fulfilment of that undertaking, as every Apex stock will now have quantitative research, provided by Fregnan, available for free on it through the AQSE website. In addition, any existing fundamental research on Apex stocks will also be available through the new, dedicated, Research Tree portal.

Fregnan produces high quality, unbiased financial analysis and models through automation at scale. It uses advances machine learning and artificial intelligence to bring unique insights that traditional techniques do not uncover. Research Tree is an independent company, which provides investors with up-to-date and historical professional equity research and stock reports from a variety of brokers and research houses.

Since Aquis acquired AQSE (previously known as NEX Exchange Ltd and owned by CME Inc.) in March 2020, a major transformation of the business has been underway. At the time of the acquisition, Aquis said it would look to make three major changes to the business: increase institutional and retail investment into AQSE, raise standards and boost liquidity. In the last year, it has introduced segmentation by dividing the Growth Market into the Apex and Access sections and raised standards by introducing its Growth Prospectus for Apex stocks and compelling companies to sign up to a reputable corporate governance code. It has also introduced a short selling ban to protect businesses and long-term investors, as well as a market-maker scheme that has narrowed spreads and increased liquidity. Further, the Company has installed its proprietary state-of-art technology and is working with the top on-line private client brokers to improve their electronic connectivity to AQSE.

Commenting on the deal, Aquis Exchange CEO Alasdair Haynes said:

"The plans we are unveiling today for expanding the research provided on AQSE-quoted stocks fulfils yet another of the promises we made when we bought this business and takes us further along the journey of making AQSE into the most appropriate and best home for growth companies. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with both Fregnan and Research Tree."

Fregnan CEO and co-Founder, Vince Julier, added:

"This collaboration highlights the power of bringing together two technologically-driven companies to transform the process of valuing a company and generating new insights to the benefit of market participants. We are thrilled that our collaboration with AQSE, with their focus on growth companies, further highlights the critical role that the technology, particularly advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence, is now playing in investment analysis, research or stock selection."

Research Tree's CEO and co-Founder, Rob Mundy, said:

"We are delighted to announce our partnership with AQSE. This agreement is welcome recognition that our current offering and future product pipeline adds good value to all stakeholders. At Research Tree our primary focus is to help markets operate more efficiently by better connecting investors, quoted companies, research providers and stock exchanges. Our growing provision of research, events and infrastructure therefore aligns perfectly with AQSE and its exciting future plans."

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Notes to Editors

About Aquis Exchange

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. AQSE, which used to be known as NEX Exchange Ltd., was acquired by Aquis in March 2020 from CME Inc. 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

About Fregnan

Fregnan is a fast-growing Fintech company that produces high quality unbiased models and forecasts through automation at scale, using advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence to bring unique insights that traditional models, using Excel do not surface.  Fregnan also provides a powerful AI driven modelling tool that can be extensively tailored by the user to transform their process of developing a spreadsheet or valuing a company and getting insights from either.

Used by banks, fund managers, stock exchanges and research houses, this enables its clients to work faster and with more insight.  With global coverage, access to over 80,000 stocks - from the smallest to the largest, and its ability to connect each model to any external data, such as ESG, Fregnan is transforming the investment research process.

For more information, please go to www.fregnan.com.

About Research Tree

Research Tree is a fast-growing platform that aggregates a range of research, video content and events from Banks, Brokers, Research Houses and other content providers. We make all this available to investors across our platform, our apps, and via our API and product suite to key distribution partners such as the LSE, on Broker Portals and on a growing number of company IR websites.

The platform offers real-time access to research from over 75 different Providers with more being added on a regular basis. Our current coverage includes over 90% of companies in the FTSE 100, c.80% of the FTSE 250 and c.80% of the AIM market, strong Scandinavian coverage, as well as a growing offering across the rest of Europe, the US and Canada.

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