YouGov, a British pollster, has threatened to move its listing from London to New York in the wake of a mass exodus from the London Stock Exchange.
The market research company, founded by Stephan Shakespeare and former Chancellor Nadhim Zawawi said that it was considering a move to expand its business after a recent acquisition.
Mr Shakespeare said: “I believe the markets support companies like ours better there.”
He said YouGov can either transfer their primary listing to New York, or create a secondary listing.
A spokesperson for the company stated that the board is considering all options. However, he added that “no decision has been taken and a US listing will not be considered in the near future.”
The London Stock Exchange , which is trying to stop the flow of US-based companies from moving to London, would suffer a new blow if the decision were to be made to move the listing.
The Cambridge-based Arm chipmaker is seeking to list in New York at a record valuation of $70bn. (£55bn). This comes after the company refused Prime Minister Rishi sunak’s pleas for it to go public in London.
Last year, plumbing supplier Ferguson moved its primary listing from the UK to the US. CRH, the largest supplier of building material in the world, , is also planning a move similar.
Flutter, the gambling group that owns Betfair and Paddy Power, is preparing a new float for New York.
Plus500, an online trading company listed on the FTSE 250 index, confirmed Monday that it is considering listing its shares at the US stock exchange.
David Zruia, the chief executive of the company, said that its value would be “much greater” if it was listed in New York. He also stated that a dual listing would be considered when market conditions improved.
Zruia stated that UK investors view Plus500 as being a financial service company, whereas its strengths are in technology. Therefore, it should be valued higher. He said that UK investors tend to view Plus500 as a financial service provider. This leads to a lower valuation, which is not the case.
The Israeli company has a growing US Division. It has been listed on the British stock exchange for over a decade.
The news comes as CVC Capital Partners, a private equity firm, is preparing plans for an upcoming stock market listing on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
, which owns PG Tips, and has stakes in Six Nations Rugby and Formula One,, pushed back their plans after Russia’s invasion. However, it is believed that they are considering a public listing before the year ends. CVC declined comment.
YouGov, known in Britain for its political polling, also conducts research on consumer opinions and behaviour in a variety of sectors. The US is its biggest market.
Mr Shakespeare stated that the US is a “natural” base for YouGov, as it “spends most on marketing data and they are most savvy”.
YouGov’s chief executive said that the company, which was previously too small to even consider an IPO in the US market, is now considering the move. This comes after the purchase of a consumer data division by German market research group GfK for €315m earlier this year.
He said, “We were too small until recently.” The recent acquisition has increased our size overnight by 50%. “I do think that we could introduce ourselves to a larger market [which] would help.”
Steve Hatch, a former Meta executive, has been appointed as the new chief executive of YouGov. Mr Shakespeare will continue to serve as chairman. Mr Shakespeare and his relatives own about 8pc of YouGov which is worth just over £1bn.
Mr Zahawi who founded YouGov with his co-founders in 2000 no longer owns shares in the company.
He was fired as the chairman of the Conservative Party earlier this year after a controversy arose over a tax bill for the sale of approximately £27m worth of YouGov shares owned by an offshore group connected to his family.