BMO Capital Markets today announced it has become a member of the London Stock Exchange.

BMO Capital Markets also becomes a broker on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), one of the fastest growing exchanges in the world and the London Stock Exchange’s international market for smaller growing companies.

By becoming a member of the LSE and through its role as a broker on AIM, BMO will have the authority to advise and execute on equity offerings, including leading initial public offerings and secondary financings, on behalf of companies on the LSE or AIM.

“We are increasing our presence on the London Stock Exchange Main Market and on AIM as part of our long-term commitment to expand the global reach of our equity platform,” says Yvan Bourdeau, CEO, BMO Capital Markets.

BMO Capital Markets reports it has raised approximately $1 billion in equity capital for AIM listed companies over the last 18 months.

BMO Capital Markets is also a member of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, NYSE, Nasdaq, and the American Stock Exchange.

BMO Capital Markets also announced today it has hired two mining analysts to be based in London, England. James Picton, a top ranked senior analyst and a 41-year industry veteran, will cover the diamond sector including AIM listed stocks. Picton was most recently a mining analyst at W.H. Ireland, a Manchester-based stockbrokerage firm where he put the diamond sector on the map. Prior to that, he worked for J.P. Morgan in South Africa among other investment firms. Picton has a BA in Economics & Law from Cambridge University.

The firm has also hired Chris Rollason who will cover the mining exploration industry. Rollason was most recently a mining investment banker at Collins Stewart in London and has more than 18 years of experience in the mining sector in a range of roles. Prior to that, he worked for Morgan Stanley in London as part of the Russian Mining and Steel equity research team. Rollason has a Masters of Science in Mineral Exploration from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London.