Companies: ICU    MXM    RAF    SGI    STAF    TPH   

Over the week, although the FTSE 100 lost 1.8 points in a mixed five days to 5,831.1, the AIM Index expanded slightly to 1,177.4, a 7.2-point improvement.

Amid the star turns on Friday was stamp dealer and publisher Stanley Gibbons (SGI), which gathered up 20 per cent to 117p on strong 2005 figures, proving philately does get you somewhere. Profits powered ahead more than 65 per cent to £2.8 million, sales sparked up 36 per cent to £13.7 million, and Stanley Gibbons closed the year having collected £2.6 million cash.
 
Also on the move was marketing services tiddler Real Affinity (RAF), rising 19 per cent north to 0.19p on an agreement with the International Offshore Team Association, the organiser, promoter and rights holder for the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
 
On the wane today was In Cup Plus (ICU), the hot and cold drinks vending machines outfit, with the shares surrendering nine per cent to 4p on news of a disappointing sales performance for calendar 2005.

Results round-up
 
March results season swung into full effect this week, with a swathe of stellar numbers posted by AIM ventures, among them staffing business Staffline (STAF). For calendar 2005, pre-tax profits powered ahead by 362 per cent to £2.5 million on sales lifted 26 per cent to £61.5 million. All of the growth was organic, with the OnSite division (a recruitment service located at client premises) demonstrating particular promise. For 2006, analysts have pencilled in improved profits of £3.1 million from sales of £72 million.
 
In the technology sphere, advanced speech recognition play Telephonetics (TPH) dialled in strong growth for the year to November, with profits spiralling 75 per cent higher to £932,000 (before the costs of listing through a reversal into shell venture Leptis Magna).
 
And Maxima (MXM), the software and services consolidation play, issued a buoyant set of half-time numbers, announced an acquisitive move in Ireland, and assured further acquisitions are likely. For the half to November, on sales lifted 31 per cent to £8.1 million, pre-tax profits came in at £389,000 (£9,000).
 
Amid this week’s new issues was Arthro Kinetics (AKI), the first German healthcare company to come to AIM. This orthopaedic venture is dedicated to regenerating joint mobility and spinal disc function, and debuted at 120p on Thursday, the price at which it raised £6 million pre-expenses. The shares closed Friday’s session at 123.5p, valuing the business at £34.1 million.
 
Looking forward
 
Broker Corporate Synergy plans to bring the UK’s biggest independent air conditioning installer to AIM in April. Fast growing Worthington Nicholls is looking to raise up to £15 million – for a debut market price tag of between £30-35 million – to fund growth in the UK and Europe. The group’s fortunes have taken a major turn for the better since 2003, when it repositioned itself as a support services group, moving away from the subcontractor business model common across the industry.