Much celebratory prose hit my inbox on the announcement, suggesting that the changes would unlock a tidal wave of investment into exactly the kind of fast growing companies that this country needs to pull itself out of its economic hole.
But, as one of our readers points out, "if people are minded to go for bargepole shares, they'll do so anyway" - so, conversely, if they aren't the kind to chase penny share pipe dreams, half a per cent won't change their mind. I'd be horrified if it did – the decision to invest should be made in the basis of their risk appetite and the underlying investment case, not a small bribe. If anything, the above average risk attached to Aim shares (they've lost 9 per cent this year even as other markets have soared) means investors should probably be encouraged to spend a bit more time thinking about whether they should invest or not, not lured in by special offers.