What is the 30-year performance of the original AIM stocks?

This month marks AIM's 30th anniversary, so we examine the performance of the original AIM stocks

Which business reported a return of 6.331 percent, and which one saw a 99 percent decline?

Launched in 1995, the Alternative Investment Market, or AIM, is celebrating its 30th anniversary on June 19 of this year.

The total value of the ten companies that were listed on AIM at the time was 82 million.

Even though 1,694 companies were listed on AIM at its height in 2007, the number now stands at 679.

Small and medium-sized businesses seeking to raise capital that might not be able to comply with the main market's listing requirements can do so on AIM, a submarket of the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Over the past five years, AIM has accounted for 45% of all capital raised on European growth markets, making it the most active growth market in the continent, according to the LSE.

Despite the fact that some investors have made significant profits by purchasing specific AIM stocks or even within an investment fund, the market is regarded as being extremely risky and volatile, and over the past thirty years, there have been some catastrophes.

Some notable examples are Quindell, Purplebricks, and Affinity Internet, all of which experienced problems such as missing money, accounting irregularities, and ultimately collapsed.

Investment analyst Dan Coatsworth of AJ Bell remarks: "AIM has had its share of catastrophes and has been dubbed the Wild West in the past, but it would be incorrect to declare the market as a whole a failure. The accomplishments of Hiscox and Genus demonstrate that it has been successful in fostering expanding businesses, as intended.

While the genetics company Genus has risen to the FTSE 250, the insurer Hiscox is now a member of the FTSE 100.

According to Coatsworth, "anyone who purchased Hiscox at its AIM IPO would have subsequently enjoyed a 2,650 percent total return, which factors in share price gains and dividends."

The investment trust Athelney Trust also transitioned from being an AIM early bird to the main market, he continues.

AIM offers certain tax benefits. For instance, you can invest through an AIM ISA, and certain AIM shares are eligible for business property relief, which exempts inheritance taxes as long as the investment is held for at least two years. However, the tax break will end in April 2026, so investors will have to pay inheritance tax at the rate of 20%.

There are still reasons to celebrate AIM's accomplishments, even though discussions about the market's rapid decline have clouded its 30th anniversary. "A significant number of AIM's founding members have achieved success in enhancing investor portfolios," Coatsworth says.

Eleven businesses that became part of AIM within its first six months of existence are still listed on the UK stock exchange, according to AJ Bell. Currently, eight of these businesses are listed on AIM, while three are on the main market.

Four of the companies have reported a negative total return over the last 30 years, while investors could have made substantial returns with one of the "early bird" AIM stocks.

Since 1995, how have the original AIM stocks done?

To demonstrate the performance of the eight AIM stocks that were listed in 1995 and are still traded today, AJ Bell did some math.

Source: LSEG, AJ Bell. Total return from the 1995 IPO date to June 12, 2025.

Wynnstay Properties is the top-performing company among those still listed on AIM, having produced an incredible total return of 6,331 percent.

It began by creating and overseeing residential real estate in the Kensington neighborhood of London, but in 1972 it shifted its focus to commercial real estate. Coatsworth remarks, "The substantial returns for investors speak for themselves, even though the company is still small in comparison to many real estate stocks on the London Stock Exchange.

NWF is the second best performer. It may not sound glamorous, but providing farmers with animal feed and oil for home heating tanks has been a key to NWF's consistent financial success. According to Coatsworth, a 920 percent total return since joining AIM in September 1995 is not to be taken lightly.

"AIM has been a good place for small businesses to access capital markets to boost their growth and expand their shareholder base. Throughout the last thirty years, NWF has made a number of bolt-on acquisitions, some of which were partially financed by the issuance of new shares.

Over the course of 30 years, the four businesses at the bottom of the table have all experienced losses. Bezant Resources, an exploration company, has had the worst performance, losing 99 percent.

Recently, the performance of AIM was also examined by the investment platform Interactive Investor.

230 AIM companies that have been listed on the market for the last 20 years were discovered. With a 13,900 percent return, Accesso Technology Group has outperformed all other companies over the last 20 years. Judges Scientific is in second place with a 7,490 percent return.

Additionally, during that time, the two have been the London Stock Exchange's top two performers overall.