The spelling of the word "OFEX" follows the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first two letters, "O" and "F," are pronounced as the phonemes /ɒ/ and /f/ respectively. The last two letters, "E" and "X," are pronounced as the phonemes /ɛ/ and /ks/ respectively. Therefore, the correct pronunciation of "OFEX" is /ˈɒfɛks/. "OFEX" is also the abbreviated form of the London-based stock market, The AIM Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange.
OFEX stands for the Over-the-counter (OTC) Financial Instruments and Exchange, which was a stock market exchange based in London. It was established in 1995 as a separate market segment within the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and was specifically designed to cater to smaller and growing companies that did not meet the listing requirements of the main LSE.
OFEX provided a platform for these companies to raise capital by allowing their shares to be traded by private investors, thus providing them with a potential source of liquidity. The exchange operated as a dealer market, where market makers would facilitate the trading of securities by matching buy and sell orders.
One of the key characteristics of OFEX was that it operated as an unofficial market, meaning that it was not subject to the same regulatory requirements and oversight as the main LSE. This allowed for more flexibility in terms of its listing rules and reduced compliance costs for the companies listed on the exchange.
The OFEX market ceased to exist in 2005 when it was acquired by PLUS Markets Group and rebranded as the PLUS-quoted market. The aim of this acquisition was to create an alternative trading platform that would offer improved liquidity and trading services for smaller companies compared to OFEX.