The platforms, intermediaries, and communities that connect companies to investors
Information flows from companies through dozens of channels before reaching investors. No single platform covers everything. This is a map of the key players — with the data behind each one.
Official Disclosure
Regulated channels for mandatory announcements
90%+ market share, ~350k announcements/year. The primary regulatory news service for UK listed companies
350–400k monthly users, 3.5m page impressions. Default free RNS portal. Acquired by Stockomendation (2023)
Alternative PIP. Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary
Alternative PIP. Part of Cision, widely used for corporate comms
Alternative PIP. Owned by West/Intrado
Alternative PIP. European disclosure platform with UK presence
Sixth FCA-approved PIP. Approved October 2024, the newest entrant
Data & Research Platforms
Tools for analysis, screening, and investment research
API-first platform structuring regulatory data with AI analysis
Professional terminal (~$32k/year) with comprehensive data
Alternative professional terminal from LSEG
~10,000 paying subscribers. Factor-based screening and analysis for private investors
UK-focused charting and fundamental analysis
Visual analysis and valuation tools
Fund ratings, research, and data
Investment trust and closed-end fund research and data
Research & Analysis
Independent and commissioned research providers
50+ analysts, covers hundreds of companies globally. Leading commissioned research provider
Longest-established commissioned research provider. 25+ years average analyst experience
Commissioned research for UK small/mid caps
Research and corporate access services
Analyst coverage from investment banks (declining post-MiFID II)
News & Media
Financial journalism and market commentary
Leading business newspaper with markets coverage
Business sections covering UK markets
104 employees, offices in 5 cities. Video interviews and news focused on growth stocks
AIM market news with direct company-investor interaction via app
Daily Mail's popular personal finance site — mass-market reach
Weekly investment magazine and website
Long-running investment publication (FT Group)
Weekly investment magazine. Covers UK equities, funds, and macro
Retail Platforms
Where individual investors access markets
~18.8m monthly visits, ranked #4 globally in Investing. RNS feeds, prices, and forums
Threads for virtually every UK listed company. Live pricing, Level 2 data, and forums
2.02m clients, £172.7bn AUA — UK's #1 retail platform
644k clients, £103.3bn AUA. Fastest-growing incumbent
439k clients, £74bn AUA. Flat-fee platform with research tools
4.5m clients globally, £25bn+ AUA. Commission-free, fastest-growing by accounts
1.6m users, £3.3bn AUA. Acquired by IG Group for £160m
Events & Engagement
Face-to-face and live interaction between companies and investors
Premium London events connecting private investors with companies
Webinar platform for company-investor engagement
Gives retail investors access to institutional placings
Large-scale retail investor conferences
Annual show and ongoing investor community
Annual meetings where shareholders can engage directly
Deep-dive presentations for investors and analysts
Communities & Discussion
Informal channels where investors share information
UK Individual Shareholders Society with 10,000+ members advocating for individual investor rights
Association of Investment Companies, data and education
Discussion boards on London South East — part of 18.8m monthly visits
Active discussion forums per stock. Thousands of posts daily
Real-time market commentary and discussion
r/UKPersonalFinance has 1.1–1.8m members. Growing equity discussion
Twin Petes, PensionCraft, Merryn Talks Money, and others
IR Services & Advisers
Supporting companies with investor communication
IR consultancy and technology, builders of Ticker
Large financial PR and IR agency
Strategic communications including IR
Financial and corporate communications
Specialist financial communications
Digital IR platform for company websites
IR CRM and analytics platform (FactSet company)
The information flow
Information originates from companies, passes through various intermediaries who transform and redistribute it, and eventually reaches investors in fragmented form.
The fragmentation is the problem
An investor tracking a portfolio of 20 companies might need to check a dozen different platforms to stay informed. What's said at a conference doesn't automatically appear in a data feed. Research from one provider doesn't integrate with news from another.
This creates friction, information asymmetry, and opportunities for those with better tooling to assemble a complete picture faster than everyone else.