Nigeria’s Dangote Cement postponed its plans for a secondary listing in London on Tuesday, citing deteriorating market conditions, in a setback for the UK bourse.
The decision was due to market volatility following the US midterm elections, but the company may revisit the plan to list in London when there is more stability, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Wall Street tumbled last week after the Democrats’ midterm victory deepened some investor concerns over whether the AI boom can last, with London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index also ending the week lower.
Dangote Cement, which listed on the Nigerian stock market in 2010, said in May it was in early talks over a potential London listing, a move that would have widened its access to overseas investors and capital.
Long-awaited listing faces another setback
It has floated the idea of a London listing several times over 15 years, but global downturns and the COVID-19 pandemic have derailed its attempts. It is part of the sprawling business empire of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, who launched Africa’s biggest share sale yet in September with the initial public offering of his oil refinery.
Dangote Cement’s board of directors, which met on Tuesday, made the decision not to proceed with the listing plans in light of current market conditions and the firm’s strategic priorities, it said in a statement.
“These are pretty awful conditions for anyone to attempt an IPO,” said Samuel Kerr, an analyst at M&A analytics platform Mergermarket, pointing to the recent rise in equity volatility.
“Dangote could probably do a deal now, but if it has the option of waiting for a better market, that would probably result in a better outcome and perhaps a higher valuation.”
No effect on business plans
A growing number of companies have either abandoned the London bourse or been bought out by larger rivals or private equity firms, while the IPO market has remained subdued.
African mobile money service Airtel Money, which made its London debut last month, has largely traded around its IPO price of £1.96 ($2.64) a share since its listing.
The cement company, which has a market valuation of $18.4-billion (about R304.70 billion), said its shares remain listed on the Nigerian bourse and that the decision does not affect its operations or business plans.
- Dangote Cement postponed its plans for a secondary listing in London due to deteriorating market conditions following the US midterm elections.
- The company may revisit the London listing plan when market stability improves, according to a person familiar with the situation.
- Dangote Cement listed on the Nigerian stock market in 2010 and had been considering a London listing since May to access overseas investors and capital.
- The decision not to proceed with the London listing was made by Dangote Cement's board in light of current market conditions and strategic priorities.
- Dangote Cement's market valuation is $18.4 billion, and its shares remain listed on the Nigerian bourse with no impact on its business operations.
Nigeria's Dangote Cement postponed its plans for a secondary listing in London on Tuesday, citing deteriorating market conditions, in a setback for the UK bourse.
The decision was due to market volatility following the US midterm elections, but the company may revisit the plan to list in London when there is more stability, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Wall Street tumbled last week after the Democrats' midterm victory deepened some investor concerns over whether the AI boom can last, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index also ending the week lower.
Dangote Cement, which listed on the Nigerian stock market in 2010, said in May it was in early talks over a potential London listing, a move that would have widened its access to overseas investors and capital.
It has floated the idea of a London listing several times over 15 years, but global downturns and the COVID-19 pandemic have derailed its attempts. It is part of the sprawling business empire of Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, who launched Africa's biggest share sale yet in September with the initial public offering of his oil refinery.
Dangote Cement's board of directors, which met on Tuesday, made the decision not to proceed with the listing plans in light of current market conditions and the firm's strategic priorities, it said in a statement.
"These are pretty awful conditions for anyone to attempt an IPO," said Samuel Kerr, an analyst at M&A analytics platform Mergermarket, pointing to the recent rise in equity volatility.
"Dangote could probably do a deal now, but if it has the option of waiting for a better market, that would probably result in a better outcome and perhaps a higher valuation."
A growing number of companies have either abandoned the London bourse or been bought out by larger rivals or private equity firms, while the IPO market has remained subdued.
African mobile money service Airtel Money, which made its London debut last month, has largely traded around its IPO price of £1.96 ($2.64) a share since its listing.
The cement company, which has a market valuation of $18.4-billion (about R304.70 billion), said its shares remain listed on the Nigerian bourse and that the decision does not affect its operations or business plans.
