Owner of Comparethemarket.com, BGL confirms it is looking at an IPO with Rothschild bank
BGL, the parent company behind price comparison site Comparethemarket.com, is considering floating on the London Stock Exchange.
BGL owns Comparethemarket.com, along with other brands including Beagle Street, which provides life insurance, and Dial Direct.
Rothschild has been hired to advise the group on the potential float, although no decision has been taken yet.
If it does take the company public Budget Holdings Limited (BHL) Group, the parent company behind BGL, will only partially realise its investment, and will retain a majority stake in the group.
The company said in a statement: "BGL Group can confirm that it is considering listing on the London Stock Exchange, however, at this point, no decisions have been made and there can be no certainty that any process will be formalised."
Comparethemarket.com was launched in 2006 and is the largest price comparison site in Britain.
In 2014, BGL reported revenue of £507m, with pre-tax profit of £94m, up from £88m in 2013.