Ambitious and growing stock exchange PLUS is extending its international reach through an agreement with the New Zealand stock exchange.

Following an earlier tie-up announced in July with the Munich stock exchange, this Memorandum of Understanding with ‘NZX’ links PLUS with the Asia-Pacific market. Under the terms of the deal, the two exchanges say they will ‘explore the potential for regulatory alignment’, which will enable companies listed or listing on either exchange to ‘fast-track
dual-list’, giving them immediate access to a deeper pool of investors.

Meanwhile, recent newcomers to trading on PLUS include Scancell Holdings, debuting at 60p per share following a £1.56 million fundraising handled by St Helen’s Capital. Nottingham-based, the company is a developer of cancer vaccines based upon a patented platform known as ‘ImmunoBody’ and made £1.03 million pre-tax on £2.17 million turnover in the year to April 2007.

Fellow recent debutantes include new investment vehicle Prequs, which pulled in just over £390,000 at 0.5p to make IT product acquisitions in the UK and Europe, and also Isle of Man-registered World Mining Services, which joined after raising £200,000 before expenses via a private placing at 6p. Its business brief is to own, operate and license out technologies that can be used in the field of enhanced mineral extraction.