Dowgate Capital (DGT) are sitting in the middle of a goldmine! This company through their sole trading arm City Financial Associates are looking to take full advantage of the "booming" AIM market this year. Dowgate provide NOMAD (NOMinated ADvisor) services to AIM companies and also have full Corporate Broker status which means that they can fund placements on behalf of the companies they represent.

Website: www.cityfin.co.uk

On first sight, the fact that Dowgate exist in the often veiled financial services sector makes you think twice about investing in company such as this because it would be impossible to understand what they were doing - however, think again! DGT bring new companies to the AIM (Alternative Investment Market). For each new company "floated" on AIM, they take arrangement fees when acting as NOMAD. After the company is launched then for a nice steady earner DGT get another healthy chunk of cash every year for looking after them (note that all AIM companies must have a nominated adviser - thereby securing a ready source of recurring income). Because DGT also act as a Corporate broker they can get a very healthy percentage for arranging placement of shares with insititutions before a new company floats. In addition, because placements come outside the sphere of yearly NOMAD work, they can also gain healthy percentages of placements which companies may need to make throughout the year when they need a quick injection of cash to speed growth. Current NOMADships: 28 companies represented (gives recurring income of approx 480,000 per year) Current on-going Brokerage agreements: 19 companies (income depends on placements) For flotations, depending on the size of a company, fees charged will be anything from 50,000 to 100,000+ For placements (the real earner), DGT get anything from 3% to around 12% of the TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED - For example a new company raising 3M though a placement will earn DGT anything from 90,000 to 360,000 ! These figures are indicative as actual deals all differ due to circumstances and DGT sometimes take payment in shares - they still have a tasty chunk of Setstone shares and when this Russian exploration company comes back to AIM, predictions are that the share price will rocket. Note that the amount that this little company can earn in fees is huge and every new deal that comes through we know will contribute another healthy chunk into the bottom line. The good news with every new floatation means that it's another chunk of recurring revenue which could go on for years, with DGT having to do very little. New clients gained in 2005 are: Mediazest (NOMAD & broker) Elite Strategies (NOMAD) Process Handling (NOMAD) Poland Investment Fund (NOMAD) Nanotech Energy (NOMAD & broker) Archimedia Ventures (NOMAD & broker) Red Leopard Holdings (NOMAD) Alba Mineral Resources (NOMAD & broker) Intandem Films (NOMAD & broker) Motive Television (NOMAD) IncaGold (NOMAD) Sportswinbet (NOMAD & Broker) Infoscreen Networks (NOMAD & Broker) Mark Kingsley (NOMAD & Broker) Croatia Ventures (NOMAD & Broker) Pantheon Leisure (NOMAD) Firenze Ventures (Ofex Advisor) FlightStore Group (NOMAD & Broker) Euro Capital Projects (NOMAD) Pearl Street Holdings (NOMAD) Worldwide Natural Resources (Ofex Advisor) Dovedale Ventures (Ofex Advisor) Other 2005 work completed:Neptune-Calculus VCT offer for subs of up to 12 million Advisory work for TGM on London Bus disposal for 20.4M Advisory work for Creightons on property disposal Advisory work for Hampton Trust on company restructuring Advisory work for Interbulk Investments on acquisition of Inbulk Advisory work for Fundamental-e Investments on two disposals Advisory work for Designer Vision re: Design Rights against Centurion Electronics Click Here for fundamentals and profit projections.

Here is an interesting article on IPO'S...........

http://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/finance/flotation/285/the-ipo-experts.thtml


The IPO experts
For a successful flotation on AIM youll need more than a company with high potential. Just as crucial will be your ability to recruit the right advisers.

If you want to float your business on AIM, the London Stock Exchanges market for fast growth companies, youll need to be running a business with all the necessary attributes a strong management team, a sound business model and innovative products and services. A healthy level of sales and profits will also not go amiss.

However, while all of the above are extremely important, they will count for nothing if you dont recruit the right advisers to guide you through the entire process.

Professional, adept advisers will be able to raise the cash your business needs for growth, introduce you to the right balance of investors (both private and institutional) and, most importantly, put a value on your business that is commensurate with its level of development and potential. If everything falls into place you should be able to sit back and watch your shares go to a premium on the first day of dealings. This will almost undoubtedly enhance your relationship with your new shareholders and the wider City that most fickle of institutions.

Get the price right
However, if you choose the wrong advisers, you will be left with a tangled web of problems to unravel. The wrong adviser may not be able to procure the funds your business needs to leap to the next level, or they might fail to bring in the right investors. Moreover, if they price your business too aggressively, you could see your shares bomb when they launch, a development that will have dire consequences for your reputation. Conversely, if your advisers value your business too lowly and the shares soar, you will have given away a significant proportion far too cheaply.

To help you through the business maze, Business XL, in association with leading broker Canaccord, has examined every single IPO on AIM in the last year (all 248 of them). Our research charts the most active brokers and nominated advisers, the funds they have raised and the share price performance of all their clients.

Brokers are key
The most important adviser to select is your broker. Quite simply it is they that will raise the cash if they dont do this, there will be no IPO.

Happily, the brokers operating on AIM have an impressive track record in gleaning funds from the global investment community. Last year, they raised a total of 2.31 billion, the most thats ever been raised in AIMs short nine-year history.

The big broking guns
Top of the pile, for the third year running, is Collins Stewart, which raised 558.64 million for ten clients. In second place sits Evolution Securities, which reeled in 276.6 million also for ten clients closely followed by Numis, which raised 198.13 million for eight clients.

As the statistics suggest, these three professional service groups largely focus on bigger companies in search of considerable cash injections. Says Canaccords Neil Johnson, we are much better at raising 50 million than 5 million, but it all depends. Interestingly, the companies from this broking house have soared 87.5 per cent since they joined the market.

Mid-size and active players
If youre searching for funds in the 5 to 10 million bracket, the likes of KBC Peel Hunt, Arbuthnot and Teather & Greenwood are probably more appropriate operators to target. Of these, the best performance was produced by KBC, whose clients shares soared a credible 36.34 per cent. Like many, KBC adopts a flexible approach to raising funds. Says KBCs Adam Hart, we will do the smaller fundraisings, but we wouldnt really want to do less than 5 million.

The most active broker last year was Seymour Pierce, which pulled in 149 million for 27 new issues. According to Dru Edmonstone, Head of Corporate Broking at Seymour Pierce, his company will look at any size of fundraising. He says, we have no delusions of grandeur. The biggest float weve done was 100 million market cap max and we have no minimum. On average, the companies from this house saw their shares soar 24.28 per cent.

Manchester-based broker WH Ireland was once again at the forefront of activity, floating 25 companies, raising on average 1.67 million.

Nomads play a key role
Once youve selected your broker, the next port of call should be the nominated adviser. The importance of the Nomads role in the flotation should not be underestimated. Its job is to assess a companys suitability for a place on the market, advise on valuation, oversee the admission procedures and ensure that a company adheres to all the rules and regulations both before and after float. An experienced and capable adviser is a must.

Interestingly, many companies appoint as their nomad the same investment house that acts as their broker. The rationale is that it facilitates a much more swift and efficient float.

Nevertheless, there are advisers which only fulfil the Nomad role Nabarro Wells and Grant Thornton for instance. The benefit of this, they argue, is that a pure Nomad is working only on behalf of the client, and therefore more independent.

Of all the Nomads, Canaccords clients recorded the best share price performance, with Noble & Co's a close second, followed by Nabarro Wells and Grant Thornton. Just as impressive though was the performance of seasoned City players Teather & Greenwood and Beaumont Cornish (another firm without a broking division).

Keep sectors in mind
Of course, as well as choosing a broker for their fundraising power and a nomad for its particular skills, you need to bear in mind that some investment houses specialise in certain sectors.

WH Ireland has a focus on mining and resources, Canaccord focuses most on mining, media and life sciences, while Brewin Dolphin has its fair share of technology clients and Durlacher has a penchant for speculative financial services companies.

Most brokers, though, are generalists and can cater for a wide range of sectors. Typical of the generalists is Evolution, which, according to analyst Jeremy Ellis will pretty much look at any sector. As long as we have the analysts and skills in-house to provide professional support after a company has floated, we will take it on.

The most popular flotations in the past year on AIM were in the speciality & other finance sector with 59 new issues, followed by mining and natural resources. Of the finance newcomers, 43 were fledgling and highly speculative shell companies (companies that have cash, but no operating business and are looking for an acquisition).

Encouragingly, if your company is a software or media play and is growing strongly, you should have no difficulty finding support in the City. A total of 26 software ventures floated last year, raising 230.08 million, while no less than 21 media ventures floated, raising 265.48 million. Incidentally, in the previous year, there was just one media IPO.

Keep an eye on costs
By the time you have recruited your adviser and broker (not to mention your lawyer and accountant) you will begin to realise that conducting an IPO is not a cheap process.

Graeme Cull of Birmingham-based Arden Partners says the cost of flotation very much depends on the size and complexity of the deal. There are lawyers and accountants fees they might charge a ballpark 100,000 to 125,000 each for their months of hard work.

And then there are the broker and Nomad fees of say, 125,000, and remember, theyll also charge a percentage of the monies raised. Typically this is around three or four per cent, although some blue-sky ventures with no revenues were more than happy to pay seven per cent during the tech boom.

Not everyone is happy handing over this sort of percentage though. Says Seymour Pierces Dru Edmonstone, three per cent of the monies raised is the norm on floats. Anything reaching six per cent is what Id call the rip-off end of the market.

Excellent post butane. Many thanks. P

Nice to see. Did we get shares in this one as payment?

AFX


LONDON (AFX) - Shares in MediaZest, a provider of in-store solutions for retailers and brand owners, were marked up to 57-1/2 pence from a placing price of 50 following their debut on AIM.

fjb/ak

Thanks, butane, that was really good background and helps to understand the market and CFPs position in it. Perhaps in a year or two they will be amongst the big players. God Ted, also, to see mediaZest launch successfully. They should get Ellen McArthur to do the champagne bit!

Eric

SB and JS have re-appeared............


Advance Visual Communications PLC
22 February 2005

22 February 2005

Advance Visual Communications plc

('AVC' or the 'Company')

Subscription and appointment of directors

The Directors are pleased to announce that the Company has today agreed terms
for a subscription by Milebeach Limited, a company controlled by Stephen Barclay
and John Shaw, of 75,000 for an issue of new ordinary shares in AVC which will
represent 29.9 per cent of its enlarged issued share capital. Milebeach has
made an immediate interest-free unsecured loan to AVC equal to the subscription
monies.

The Company has also agreed to issue an option to Milebeach Limited over new
ordinary shares which will be exercisable in whole or part to the extent that
existing options in the Company are exercised so that Milebeach Limited will be
able to maintain its percentage shareholding in AVC. The exercise price will be
the nominal amount of the ordinary shares.

The Directors expect to despatch to shareholders as soon as practicable a
circular containing a notice of extraordinary general meeting to approve the
subscription and effect a necessary preliminary capital reorganisation; further
details regarding the subscription by Milebeach Limited will be included in that
circular.

In addition, the Company announces that Stephen Barclay and John Shaw have today
been appointed non-executive directors and that Graham Leask has resigned as a
director. Stephen Barclay has been appointed Chairman of AVC and both Barclay
Douglas and Massoud Amiri remain as non-executive directors.

Stephen Barclay, 62, qualified as a chartered accountant with Robson Rhodes
before obtaining an MBA degree from Wharton Business School, University of
Pennsylvania in 1967. He is currently Chairman of CFA Capital Group Plc (which
he founded in 2001 with John Shaw) and is a Governor of The London School of
Economics. He holds no ordinary shares in the Company.

John Shaw, 55, qualified as a chartered accountant with Touche Ross & Co in
1975. He was until recently a director of CFA Capital Group Plc (which he
founded in 2001 with Stephen Barclay). He holds 24,250 ordinary shares in the
Company representing 0.015 per cent of the issued share capital.

Barclay Douglas commented: 'I am delighted that the Company has secured
additional funding which ensures that we have adequate working capital to
implement our strategy of effecting the acquisition of a suitable business.'

Stephen Barclay commented: ' I am pleased to be associated with AVC for which we
are currently considering a number of potential opportunities '

Press enquiries:

Advance Visual Communications plc

Stephen Barclay
07767 444 114

Barclay Douglas
0777 182 4440



Shore Capital

Alex Borrelli
020 7408 4090


Details of the directorships of Stephen Barclay and John Shaw are set out below.



Stephen John Barclay


Present directorships Past directorships (last 5 years)


Templeton College (OCMS) The Leading Edge Holdings Limited

Merton of London Limited The Leading Edge (Retail) Limited

Merton & Falcon Limited Revelation Piccadilly Holdings plc

New Venture Capital Trust Limited Travel Accessories Limited

Marketing Machine Limited Housemasters (West London) Limited

Talisman First Venture Capital Trust Plc City Financial Associates Limited

Clarcon Limited RPH Services Limited

CFA Capital Group Plc Masters Wimbledon Limited

PYV Group Limited The Institute for Jewish Policy Research

Enterprise LSE Limited Quadranet Plc

Raynham Freehold Company Limited Seymour Pierce Nominees Limited

Raynham Freehold Management Limited Fullflow Group Limited

Talisman House Limited Investment Management Holdings Plc

Abinger Investments Limited Marchthistle Limited

Clink Wharf Associates Limited The Premier Group Limited

Haydons Limited Gladstone Plc

Milebeach Limited Acecharm Limited


City Financial Assets (Guernsey) Limited

Coburg Group Plc

London School of Economics and Political Science

Constellation Corporation Plc

SWP Group Plc

SWP Holdings Limited

DRC Holdings Limited

City and Investor Relations Limited

SP (PEP) Nominees Limited

Seymour Pierce Limited

Seymour Pierce Nominees Limited

Seymour Pierce Private Equity Limited

Ten Alps Communications Plc

Patersons Consulting Limited

FD Realisations Plc

Captain O.M. Watts Limited

HOT Group Plc

Mosley Street Securities Limited

Stephen Barclay was a director of Revelation Piccadilly Holdings plc and certain
of its wholly owned subsidiaries, namely: The Leading Edge Holdings Limited; The
Leading Edge (Retail) Limited; Haydons Limited; Travel Accessories Limited;
Housemasters (West London) Limited; and RPH Services Limited (together the '
Revelation Group') which went into administrative receivership in March 1999.
The directors of Revelation Piccadilly Holdings plc estimated the deficiency as
regards secured creditors of the Revelation Group to be approximately 2.9
million and unsecured creditors of the Revelation Group to total approximately
5.5 million. In addition, Bank of Scotland will be entitled to submit a
significant unsecured claim against each company in the Revelation Group. The
administrative receiver's report indicates that there are no funds available for
distribution to unsecured creditors.

In addition, Stephen Barclay was a director of Cobworth Limited which went into
creditors' voluntary liquidation in 1978 with a deficit to creditors of some
78,000. He was a director of Clarcon Limited which went into creditors'
voluntary liquidation in August 2003 with a deficit to creditors of 975,000.
He was a director of FD Realisations plc (formerly Fish plc) in January 2002
which went into administrative receivership in July 2002. The directors of Fish
plc estimated the deficiency as regards secured creditors to be approximately
10.5 million and as regards unsecured creditors of approximately 3.5 million.
In addition, Barclays Bank will be entitled to submit a significant unsecured
claim against each company in the Fish Group. The administrative receiver's
report indicates that there are no funds available for distribution to unsecured
creditors.





John Richard Shaw


Present directorships Past directorships (last 5 years)


Abinger Investments Limited City and Investor Relations Limited

Chatsford Corporate Finance Limited Iverna Court Freehold Limited

Dover Street VCT plc Seymour Pierce Private Equity Limited

Seymour Pierce Limited

Seymour Pierce Nominees Limited

SP Nominees Limited

SP (PEP) Nominees Limited

The Seymour Pierce Venture Capital Trust PLC

Belasis Business Centre Limited

Captain OM Watts Limited

Fundamental-e Investments plc

IEQ PLC (in liquidation)

Clink Wharf Associates Limited

CFA Capital Group Plc

City Financial Associates Limited

Talisman House Limited

Galleon Nominees Limited

CFA Financial Assets (Guernsey) Limited
John Shaw resigned as a director of Scitech Medical Limited in October 1985
which was liquidated in 1986; and he was a director of Belasis Business Centre
Limited which went into administrative receivership on 31 March 1995 and was
dissolved on 13 February 2001.

No further information is required to be disclosed under the AIM Rules.


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Well spotted butane...

Talk about fingers in pie's
C

what`s the chances of them bringing their business to CFP for advice and brokerage works ???? putting some money into our (cfp) coffers is the least they could do!

Yes, well done butane. You would hope so, snakey, but I reckon they left with egg on their faces and a reputation as pretty abject failures. Nor did they make their retirement millions. Well shot of them, I say.

Eric

Eric,
you`re probably right there.

Anyone know when next results are due ?

corehard -

Last year's results came out on 30th March. Could be around the same date this year possibly? No news on anything much with this company.

Wish they cared about their shareholders enough to acknowledge they need to keep in touch with news - any news will do - even the fact they have taken on a new office cleaner would give us something to cling onto or acquired a new box of paper clips. Only joking!!

.34p to buy at the moment..

More work for CFP............ (Last paragraph)




Hampton Trust PLC
25 February 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 February 2005

HAMPTON TRUST PLC:
BOARD CHANGES AND UPDATE ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH
CONVERTIBLE UNSECURED LOAN STOCK ('CULS') HOLDERS
APPOINTMENT OF NEW FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Hampton Trust plc ('Hampton') or ('the Company') today announces the appointment
of Paul Sellars to the Board as a non-executive Director and the appointment of
Jonathan Whittingham as an executive Director. Both join the Board with
immediate effect. At the same time Richard Parker resigns from the Board as a
non-executive Director. There are no disclosures to be made further to paragraph
6.F.2(b) to (g) of the Listing Rules.

In addition, the Company reports that it is making progress in its negotiations
with the CULS holders with a view to reducing Hampton's debt burden and creating
a viable business. The Board hopes to report more fully to shareholders in due
course.

The Board also announces that, until a successful outcome to these negotiations
with the CULS holders has been reached, no further interest payments on the CULS
will be made.

City Financial Associates Limited ('CFA') has today been appointed Hampton's
financial adviser.

Ends
Contact:

Graeme Jackson, Chairman, Hampton. Tel: 020 7499 4994
Tony Rawlinson, CFA. Tel: 020 7090 7800
Baron Phillips, Tavistock Communications Tel: 020 7920 3150



This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

mysunshine: Thanks for the info...

Good find butane, spread the word that cfp are actually doing something because they still don't seem to want to tell anyone.

Thanks butane. Great stuff. Gives some reassurance.

Would have been nice to see MoneyAm put an "N" next to CFP in the portfolio watch list to bring it to people's attention as this does involve CFP. Some companies seem to get an "N" alert next to their name at the smallest whiff of action.

Looks like we've lost one though..............




Alltrue Investments PLC
25 February 2005


Alltrue Investments plc (the 'Company')

Change of advisers

Nabarro Wells & Co. Limited has been appointed to act on behalf of the Company
as Nominated Adviser and Broker with immediate effect.


Further enquiries:

Leo Knifton, Chairman
Alltrue Investments plc 0207 251 3762

Jonathan Naess
Nabarro Wells 0207 710 7400


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

http://www.britishbulls.com/StockPage.asp?CompanyTicker=CFP&MarketTicker=FINANCIALS&Typ=S

I usually post on the "other" site(!) but read through this one from time to time [partly because the other is a little more "active" - although contains a lot of rubbish!]. I saw on the other site that Knifton of Alltrue is associated with one Stephen Dean (of Griffin). If so, then frankly this is no great loss. Who knows...under its new management - perhaps CFA resigned!