By Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro and Emma-Victoria Farr
LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Hopes have mounted for a revival in stock listings in Germany despite signs of faltering economic growth, as at least four initial public offerings (IPOs) have been pencilled in for later this year, four people familiar with matter said.
The IPO market has been slow to recover after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the fastest tightening of monetary policy in decades all but froze listings last year.
Europe’s largest economy has only seen two IPOs this year, raising a combined 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion). But the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the pace could pick up.
Schott Pharma, the medical glass division of Schott AG, is preparing to launch an IPO in Frankfurt after the lull over the summer months, while defence contractor Renk might go public before the end of the year if its private equity owner Triton rules out a private sale, they said.
Road payments group DKV Mobility, backed by CVC Capital Partners, and mid-size lender OLB Bank, backed by Apollo Global Management, are also considering a 2023 debut if market conditions allow, the people added.
No final decisions have been made, and timelines could slip into next year, the people cautioned. However, the groundwork has been carried out to allow the companies to act quickly if the opportunity arises, they said.
Spokespeople for Apollo, CVC, DKV Mobility, Renk, Schott and Triton declined to comment. An OLB representative said the bank continues to plan for an IPO but the decision ultimately lies with its shareholders.
DEFERRED AMBITION
Excluding Porsche’s blockbuster offering late last year, German IPOs raised just over 300 million euros in 2022, according to Dealogic data, as a surge in interest rates and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced companies to defer their listing ambitions.
OLB scrapped plans to go public earlier this year after the sudden fall of Silicon Valley Bank in March stoked fears of a global bank run.
Equity markets have since rallied as investors see a possible end to interest rate hikes meant to tame inflation.
European stocks are up 9% from January, with Germany’s DAX index up 15% year to date, while volatility is at a level that bankers say is conducive to deals.
The IPO market has also shown signs of improvement.
Earlier this month, Hydrogen firm Thyssenkrupp Nucera sought to take advantage of improving market sentiment by listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Shares in Nucera closed on Tuesday at 21.88 euros, above the price of its IPO.
However, web hosting services provider IONOS has stayed stuck below the price of its February IPO and Germany’s economy remains slow. A closely watched survey of German business showed deteriorating morale this week.
($1 = 0.9043 euros)
(Reporting by Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro in London and Emma-Victoria Farr in Frankfurt; Editing by John O’Donnell and Barbara Lewis)
