The London Stock Exchange (LSE) raised most IPO funding since 2007 last year, marking a strong year for LSEG Capital Markets. As 122 companies listed on the LSE in 2021 raising over £16.8bn, the LSE is by a significant margin the number one exchange in Europe, raising more equity capital than the Amsterdam and Paris exchanges combined, and the most equity capital raised outside of the US and Greater China.
Through the year 39% of all IPO capital has been raised by tech or consumer internet companies, with a combined market capitalisation of £31bn at IPO. 2021 overall has been a strong first year for the LSEG Capital Markets division. Total FX volumes hit a new daily record of over $680bn (including FXall and Matching).
“2021 has also been a significant year for LSEG. The integration of Refinitiv brought our FX, fixed income, and equities businesses together to form LSEG’s capital markets division, a multi-asset, diversified, global financial markets infrastructure” Murray Roos, Group Head, Capital Markets, LSEG said in a statement. “We are looking forward to building on this momentum and on recent regulatory changes in the UK to ensure London is an even more compelling capital raising venue” he added.
The total capital raised by the London Stock Exchange in 2021 is £49.2bn (£16.8bn in IPOs and £32.4bn in further offerings by existing listed companies) cementing the UK’s position as one of the top global financial centres and a driver of the UK domestic economy – providing capital to the fast growth companies of today and tomorrow, as well as existing businesses.
London has continued its long-held track record of attracting international companies, welcoming listings from countries including the US and Canada, Australia and across the EU. Companies from across the UK also accessed London’s public markets in 2021, including 15 IPOs from the North of England and four IPOs from Scotland.
It has also been the biggest year for capital raising since 2007 for London’s Alternatives Investment Marketplace (AIM) with £9bn raised in IPO and follow-on capital. 64 companies were admitted in 2021, raising over £3bn, the most active year for AIM IPOs since 2014 (75 IPOs). AIM is LSE’s market for small and medium size growth companies, providing companies from a wide range of countries and sectors with access to a diverse set of investors and a supportive advisory community, who understand the needs of entrepreneurial businesses.
Over 110 London listed companies have been awarded with the London Stock Exchange’s Green Economy Mark, including 7 companies at IPO in Q4 2021 – including Harmony Energy Income Trust Plc, Atrato Onsite Energy Plc, Eneraqua Technologies Plc, Gelion Plc, Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company and ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust Plc. If these companies were a sector, they would be the fourth largest by capital raised across the exchange in the last three years.