A clutch of companies could face being thrown off the Neuer Markt if Deutsche Börse presses ahead with its plans to introduce Nasdaq-style delisting rules for companies traded on its high-growth market.

Officials at the Neuer Markt have confirmed that Deutsche Börse is tentatively exploring the possibility of introducing delisting rules, although they stressed that the idea is still at the preliminary stage. 'It's too early to speculate. We are just discussing this with our market participants,' says a Neuer Markt spokeswoman in Frankfurt.