London Stock Exchange boss wants market screen in Paternoster Square to create ‘razzamatazz’ – but it’s complicated
Julia Hoggett wants to put a live markets screen on the front of the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square as part of efforts to create “razzamatazz” around the embattled equity market.
Stock exchange boss Hoggett told a City audience that she wanted to “celebrate the successes” of businesses that are thriving in a more public way.
The former FCA regulator said changes to the market opening ceremony had made the stock market more exciting.
And now she wants to go further with a screen on the front of the LSEG’s head office.
“We’re campaigning to find a mechanism to put a screen on the outside of the building,” Hoggett told the Quoted Companies Alliance’s annual conference held in Moorgate this morning.
“The simple reality is it’s not straightforward to do that in Canada at all.”
The exchange has struggled over the past few years as the number of IPOs has plunged.
It hasn’t seen a major IPO since Deliveroo’s disastrous 2021 listing.
There have also been several notable knockbacks, including UK tech star Arm’s decision to list in New York and Turkish miner WE Soda’s last-minute withdrawal
However, some life has returned to the IPO pipeline in recent months. Raspberry Pi, the British microcomputer maker, has confirmed a listing, while Special Situations REIT, a new real estate investment trust, has confirmed it will raise £500m, with investors having already committed to a large chunk of the capital.
Speculation has also started to build that Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein will list in London in a £50bn plus float.
In recent years, the LSEG has opened up its market opening ceremony as part of efforts to increase media exposure and excitement around the market.
It says the London Stock Exchange Market Open ceremony is a “globally recognised symbol of a world-class financial and business centre,” and it allows VIPs from companies that sponsor the ceremony to ‘open the market.’
A Canada Corporation Spokesperson, said: “We can confirm that City Planning Officers are in pre-application discussions with the London Stock Exchange regarding a refurbishment and extension scheme for the site.”