Aquis Stock Exchange

The junior marketplace of the London Stock Exchange, acting as a way for small and medium-sized growth companies to access investors. There are weaker regulatory requirements for companies that want to list on the AIM compared to the Main Market, which can mean less protection for investors.

AJ Bell offers dealing within the AIM market via our investment platform.

A type of investment in which you lend money to a company or government. In return you get interest payments and repayment of the money you lent at the end of a specific term. The interest rate and term are set at the start of the investment.

Investing in bonds is generally considered safer than shares. But there are still risks, primarily default risk (i.e. the company or government becoming insolvent), inflation risk, and the risk that interest rates rise over time.

A bond issued by the UK government is also known as a gilt. You can buy bonds directly, as well as invest in funds that hold bonds.

See our bond offering Read more about bonds

Complex bonds are products that offer additional options compared to a traditional bond investment but come with more risk. This includes assets like convertible bonds and subordinated debt.

Convertible bonds can be converted to equities within their lifetime, but because of this flexibility, they are sensitive to both the bond and equity market which can mean additional risk.

Subordinated debt is a higher risk product than a traditional bond because in the case of default, holders will be paid after other creditors. This means a lower chance that there will be enough money to cover the subordinated debt. Because of this higher risk, they often come with higher interest rates.

Read about complex instruments