Table of Contents
- The moves will provide a much-needed boost to City
- London on track for worst year for corporate exits since financial crisis
- Canal+ expected to be worth up to £5bn when shares begin trading
French film and television giant Canal+ will debut on the London Stock Exchange today, marking a victory for the beleaguered UK market.
Shares in the Paddington producer will provide a much-needed boost after data revealed the London market was on track for its worst year for corporate exits since the financial crisis.
Canal+ is expected to be valued at up to £5bn when its shares begin trading. News of her arrival was welcomed last week by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who hailed it as a “vote of confidence” in the UK.
But other London-listed companies have been less optimistic, with many moving abroad or falling victim to takeover bids.
Construction equipment rental company Ashtead, with a market value of £23bn, is the latest London-listed company to defect, announcing it will move its main listing to the US stock market. It will join around 88 companies that have delisted or changed their primary listing from London’s main market this year, the worst exodus since the 2009 financial crisis, the Financial Times reported.
Other big hitters to leave this year include betting group Flutter, which moved its main listing to the US, and takeaway platform Just Eat. Others have been victims of takeovers, driving them out of the public market.
Any port in the middle of a storm: Canal+ is expected to be worth up to £5 billion when its shares begin trading
Cybersecurity group Darktrace is among those that have reached purchase agreements with private equity firms this year. And ministers are considering approving a takeover bid for Royal Mail by Czech tycoon Daniel Krentinsky, the largest shareholder in the group’s London-listed parent IDS.
London is struggling to attract companies, and Canal+ arrives amid what is estimated to be the lowest number of new listings in 15 years. It has prompted warnings from City bosses that action is needed to make London a more attractive destination for businesses.
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