Sharelink plans Apricot tie-up

SHARELINK, the cut-price share-dealer, is linking up with Apricot computers to offer a new home-based dealing service to private investors, writes William Gleeson.

Under the planned venture, investors would buy a package of hardware and software from Apricot, which would allow them to place buy and sell orders for shares through Sharelink's dealing service. As well as providing current prices, the package would also allow investors access to files containing up-to-date information.

Birmingham-based Sharelink hopes to include a news service to bring private investors closer to a level playing field with institutional investors. At present, institutions can read company press releases containing price-sensitive information on wires such as Reuters and the Regulatory News Service as soon as they are released. Private investors have to wait for the next day's newspapers.

The computing package is expected to cost about pounds 1,000, with a further monthly charge of about pounds 30 for the information service. It will include a word-processing program, spreadsheet, settlements package, database, dealing program, modem and a processor with screen. The information package will have company announcements, reports and accounts and press releases.

Sharelink hopes to have the service running early in 1995.