Taking the plunge: Observations on the UK IPO market

IPO confidence evaporates

Last year was slowest 12 months for fundraising activity on London’s stock markets since the financial crisis a decade earlier, according to the Financial Times.

Most corporate finance firms and securities lawyers that usually advise on initial public offerings (IPO) and fundraising transactions did not need the FT to tell them that. According to data produced by the London Stock Exchange, only 34 companies were listed during the year, a drop of 62% on the 2018 numbers and the lowest number since 2009. There were also significantly fewer secondary fund raises. In fact, more companies left the LSE in 2019 than joined it and the new sums raised by entrants tended to be smaller, with some exceptions like Network International and Trainline who ea...