This year is a crunch year for the London market. Nearly four years after Lord Hill’s review of UK listing rules kick-started reform efforts, the stock market remains in the doldrums.
New companies listing in London raised the least amount of money on record in 2024, at just ￡737mn according to Dealogic data, underscoring the challenges in revitalising the market. Fewer than 20 companies listed in the UK capital last year, the lowest number of additions to its stock market since the financial crisis in 2009.
As more companies choose to add or move listings to the US in search of greater liquidity and higher valuations, UK policymakers are urgently trying to revive London with reforms to regulations and measures to encourage pension funds to invest in UK stocks.