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UK Market Exodus: Companies that moved away from London listing in recent years - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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UK Market Exodus: Companies that moved away from London listing in recent years

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on June 12, 2026

6 min read

· Last updated: June 17, 2026

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UK Market Exodus: Companies that moved away from London listing in recent years

Major Companies Delisting or Moving Away from the London Stock Exchange

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June 16 (Reuters) - Plumbing supplies distributor Ferguson said on Tuesday it would cancel its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, days after betting giant Flutter Entertainment said it would do the same, in the latest blow for the bourse.

A growing number of companies have either shelved plans to list in London, exited the market altogether, or aimed to better capitalise on stronger foreign markets by demoting their London listing and upgrading their listings elsewhere.

Britain has embarked on broad regulatory reforms, including easing rules for companies to raise funds, to boost the appeal of London as a global financial hub, amid investor pushback and post-Brexit-related challenges that have pressured UK market valuations.

Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index was valued at about £2.4 trillion ($3.21 trillion) as of June 11, far below the S&P 500's $63 trillion and only slightly higher than Microsoft.

2026: Recent Announcements

Ferguson Enterprises

Ferguson Enterprises: The plumbing supplies distributor said on Tuesday it would cancel its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange and trade solely in North America, a move it said would cut costs and simplify governance.

The company, which had a valuation of £34.06 billion as of June 15, had shifted its primary listing to New York from the LSE in 2022.

Flutter Entertainment

Flutter Entertainment: The FanDuel owner said in June it would delist from the London Stock Exchange in August, while retaining its primary NYSE listing.

The company, which had a valuation of £14.34 billion as of June 11, said the decision was in the best interest of its shareholders. The FanDuel owner had moved its primary listing to the NYSE in 2024.

2025: Notable Moves

AstraZeneca

ASTRAZENECA: While the pharma giant and London's most valuable company had said in September it was not exiting London, it did lay out plans to switch to a direct listing of its shares in the U.S.

Many industry experts have warned that the company's move could prompt other large companies to follow suit.

Petershill Partners

PETERSHILL PARTNERS: The British investment group had said in September it would delist from the London Stock Exchange and return money to shareholders, citing dissatisfaction with its share price performance and valuation.

The company was valued at £3.32 billion as of September 30.

Wise PLC

WISE PLC: The British fintech received shareholder approval on July 28 to shift its primary stock market listing from the LSE to the U.S.

The company, which was valued at £11.27 billion as of September 24, said the move is aimed at improving access to capital and boosting its profile among global investors while still maintaining a secondary listing in London.

Cobalt

COBALT: The Glencore-backed metals investor scrapped its plans for a London IPO on June 4, which, according to one source, was driven by a lack of demand.

The company, which was valued at around $230 million as of June 4, would have seen London's largest market debut since Air Astana's listing in February 2024.

Indivior

INDIVIOR: The drugmaker in early June said it will cancel its secondary listing on the LSE effective July 25, citing cost savings and a desire to align more closely with its U.S.-focused operations.

Magnum Ice Cream

Magnum Ice Cream: The ice cream maker, which was spun off from Unilever, debuted on the Amsterdam exchange as its primary listing with a valuation of about €7.8 billion.

The company also has secondary listings in London and New York.

Shein

SHEIN: The online fast-fashion retailer is working towards a listing in Hong Kong after its proposed IPO in London failed to secure the green light from Chinese regulators, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in May.

However, before its attempt to list in London, Shein had pursued a listing in New York, as part of its efforts to gain legitimacy as a global, rather than a Chinese company, and to access a wide pool of large Western investors.

2024: Key Departures

Just Eat Takeaway

JUST EAT TAKEAWAY: The Amsterdam-listed food delivery company delisted from the LSE in December, citing efforts to reduce administrative and regulatory costs.

The company had a market value of €4.03 billion as of September 30, 2025.

Ashtead

ASHTEAD: The second-largest equipment rental company in the U.S. said in December it plans to shift its listing to New York.

With a market value of £ 20.95 billion as of September 30, 2025, Ashtead has been listed in London since 1986, and transformed into a major U.S. player in the early 2000s.

Woodside Energy

WOODSIDE ENERGY: The oil and gas giant, in October 2024, decided to delist from the LSE to reduce its administrative costs.

Unisys

UNISYS: The IT consulting firm announced its intention to cancel its standard listing on the LSE, citing low trading volume of its common stock in October 2024.

TUI

TUI: Shareholders of Europe's largest travel operator voted in February 2024 to remove the firm from LSE saying a single German listing will better reflect its ownership and trading patterns in February 2024.

The Hanover-headquartered company has a market value of €3.93 billion as of September 30, 2025.

2023: Previous Exits

Marsh & McLennan

MARSH & MCLENNAN: The insurance broker giant, valued at $99.08 billion as of September 30, 2025, announced its intention to delist from the LSE, citing low trading volume in November 2023, with its primary listing remaining on the NYSE.

Kingspan

KINGSPAN: The Irish construction company, valued at €12.79 billion as of September 30, 2025, delisted from the LSE in 2023, citing negligible trading in its shares in London and maintaining its primary listing in Dublin.

CRH

CRH: The building materials solutions provider, which has $80.44 billion in market value as of September 30, 2025, switched its primary listing to the NYSE in 2023, while maintaining a standard listing on the LSE.

ARM Holdings

ARM HOLDINGS: The UK-based c

Key Takeaways

  • Flutter Entertainment will cease trading on the LSE effective August 3, 2026, retaining only its NYSE listing; the LSE trading ends July 31 — source confirms by Investing.com and Reuters reports (za.investing.com).
  • AstraZeneca launched a direct listing on NYSE in February 2026 to harmonize its global share structure while maintaining LSE and Stockholm listings — showcasing a dual-listing strategy (investing.com).
  • In recent years, an increasing number of companies—including Petershill Partners, Wise PLC, Indivior, Just Eat Takeaway, Ashtead, Unilever’s ice‑cream division, Shein, CRH, ARM, TUI, Marsh & McLennan—have either delisted, shifted primary listings, or canceled London IPO plans due to valuation, regulatory, and investor base pressures (marketscreener.com).

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are major companies delisting from the London Stock Exchange?
Companies cite reasons like better capital opportunities abroad, investor pushback, and post-Brexit challenges impacting UK market valuations.
Which high-profile companies announced plans to delist from London recently?
Recent announcements include Flutter Entertainment, AstraZeneca, Petershill Partners, Wise PLC, and Just Eat Takeaway.
What is the impact of company exits on the London Stock Exchange?
Delistings reduce the size and global appeal of the London market, potentially prompting more companies to consider foreign listings.
Where are these companies moving their primary listings?
Companies are moving to markets like the New York Stock Exchange, Amsterdam exchange, or Hong Kong, depending on strategic goals.
What are some notable cancelled London IPOs or failed listing attempts?
Cobalt cancelled its planned IPO due to low demand and Shein failed to secure regulatory approval for a London listing.

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