Peel Hunt in talks with rivals to supply retail traders entry to IPOs

Peel Hunt is in talks with rivals about organising a standalone firm that will provide retail traders entry to public choices and different listed fundraisings.

The UK dealer has sounded out curiosity from potential companions together with Numis, Hargreaves Lansdown and Investec a couple of deal that would embrace taking stakes within the new unbiased enterprise, in line with folks accustomed to the matter.

AJ Bell and Interactive Investor have held discussions however are now not concerned.

The transfer comes as UK ministers and regulators work on plans to encourage extra retail traders to take part within the British inventory market, with involvement lagging behind international locations such because the US. 

Peel Hunt’s Rex retail share provide service permits retail prospects to take part in IPOs and share placings which might be historically monopolised by giant institutional funds.

Rivals akin to PrimaryBid, which is backed by the London Inventory Alternate and SoftBank, additionally enable retail traders to purchase shares in listed firm fund raisings alongside institutional traders when they’re first provided to the inventory market. PrimaryBid was valued at about $700mn after its final fundraising in February.

Peel Hunt is anticipated to file an utility with the Monetary Conduct Authority within the subsequent few weeks to get regulatory approval for a brand new monetary companies agency. The enterprise would function with a brand new chief government and group.

Peel Hunt will stay a big shareholder within the new firm beneath the plans, which is anticipated to be renamed Retail Ebook.

AJ Bell, Interactive Investor and Hargreaves Lansdown already use the Rex platform to let retail prospects take part in IPOs and secondary placings. However different banks have been loath to apply it to their offers given it instantly advantages a rival.

Rex has been used on 5 non-Peel Hunt shareholder-only fund raisings in current months the place firms have been in a position to ask current retail traders in the event that they needed to take part.

Steven Fantastic, chief government of Peel Hunt, declined to touch upon the talks however added: “This solely works if it turns into fully unbiased of Peel Hunt.”

One other individual concerned within the talks mentioned that the enterprise would profit from cross-industry possession, and would assist increase retail shareholdings in firms within the London Inventory Alternate.

The breakout of Peel Hunt’s retail shareholder operation may additionally convey larger concentrate on the valuation of the broader enterprise, in line with folks near the talks.

The corporate has a market capitalisation of simply over £100mn after shares within the firm dropped by near two-thirds because it listed in 2021, regardless of having £76mn of money on its steadiness sheet on the finish of June.

Peel Hunt, like its friends, has been hit by the hunch in IPOs this yr, though work advising on different types of share placings and mergers and acquisitions has been extra lively.

Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, Investec and Numis declined to remark.