SIX operates the stock exchanges in Switzerland and Spain. How satisfied are you with the listing activity on your markets in the first half of 2024?
Björn Sibbern: “I’m very happy with the listing activity, especially if we compare it with the IPO activity across Europe in the previous years. Not only were we able to welcome the world’s two biggest IPOs – with Puig in Spain and Galderma in Switzerland –, our listing bell has been ringing several more times so far this year.”
Beatriz Alonso-Majagranzas: “That’s right: we rang the bell twice for companies that joined BME Growth, the Spanish market for growing SMEs, where we could welcome tuTECHÔ in April and NZI HELMETS in June, plus seven more times for BME Scaleup, the marketplace for emerging companies in Spain, highlighting the depth and diversity of Spain's financial ecosystem.”
Is this revival limited to Spain?
Beatriz Alonso-Majagranzas: “We believe this uptick in IPO activity is part of a broader European resurgence. Across the continent, companies have raised over 13.3 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2024, more than double the amount raised in the same period in 2023. So the revival is not limited to Spain. Galderma, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, recorded the second largest IPO in the world, worth 2.2 billion U.S. dollars.”
Björn Sibbern: “The recent surge in IPO activity across Europe, particularly in Spain, is a clear indication of the strong economic fundamentals and the confidence investors have in our markets.”
What are your expectations for the remainder of the year?
Beatriz Alonso-Majagranzas: “As we move into the second half of 2024, the outlook remains positive. With strong fundamentals, Spain's stock market is set to continue its upward trajectory, reinforcing its position as a key player in the global capital markets.
Björn Sibbern: “Following the lead of Puig and Galderma, for more companies alreday announced their intention to float shares in Spain and Switzerland, further underscoring the underlying strength of both markets we operate. And all upcoming IPOs in the main market are poised to add to the positive momentum in the segments tailored to smaller companies, such as Sparks in Switzerland as well as BME Growth and BME Scaleup in Spain.”
Capital Raising: Finance Your Growth
When it comes to capital raising, size doesn’t matter. At BME Exchange we support your growth from the pre-market environment, through BME Growth up to the main market. Not only do we cover Europe, but we also have our Latin America market, Latibex, to give you strong visibility to foreign investors.
SIX Swiss Exchange offers services and products for blue chips listed on the main market as well as for SMEs. With its new SME stock exchange segment called Sparks as well as services dedicated to SMEs, SIX Swiss Exchange thereby helps to increase the visibility of these companies among investors in the market.