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Bloomberg
The Dutch IPO drought is over.
With at least four confirmed initial public offerings in Amsterdam, 2018 is already looking twice as busy as all of 2017.
Alfen Beheer BV, which makes charging stations for electrical vehicles, became the third company this week to announce its intention to list in Amsterdam, joining merchant bank NIBC Holding NV and wholesaler B&S Group Sarl. In all cases existing shareholders are selling stakes. The announcements would make the current quarter the busiest Dutch IPO season since the second quarter of 2016, data compiled by Bloomberg shows.
“As a Dutch investor, I am very happy to see the local investment universe expand after quite some companies were acquired and de-listed,†said Christian Vondenbusch, a fund manager at Robeco Hollands Bezit, which invests $300 million in Dutch companies.
“The higher number of Dutch IPOs shows that a lot of capital is still looking for returns.â€
The three announcements this week follow the share sale by a small special purpose acquisition company Dutch Star Companies One NV, which went public earlier this month. Bigger companies are waiting in the wings to the tap the market.
In contrast, only two companies joined the ranks of Euronext Amsterdam in all of last year—specialty chemicals firm Avantium NV and builder Royal VolkerWessels NV raised a combined 760 million euros. The opening of the IPO floodgates is a reflection of the optimism in the stock market.