The multinational bookstore chain Waterstones and Gymshark, the athleisure brand, were among the companies which met Rachel Reeves on Monday as she targets a sustained revival of London’s listings market.
Sky News has learnt that James Daunt, Waterstones’ chief executive, and Ben Francis, founder and CEO of Gymshark, were among more than half a dozen executives who attended a roundtable chaired by the chancellor.
Digital banks Oaknorth and Starling; CFC Underwriting; David Lloyd Leisure; and wealth management firm True Potential were also represented at the meeting.
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Sky News revealed at the weekend that Ms Reeves was joined at the meeting by Goldman Sachs’ Anthony Gutman, one of the Wall Street firm’s top investment bankers, and the City minister, Lucy Rigby.
In the invitation, the Treasury said the issue of London’s allure as a listing venue was “a high priority for the government”.
“Ministers are keen to hear your views on the attractiveness of the UK as a listing destination for firms… and on the extensive package of reforms the government has undertaken to boost the competitiveness of UK capital markets.”
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It was not immediately clear whether the meeting was used by the chancellor to address questions about a possible stamp duty exemption for newly listed shares, which the Financial Times reported last week was under consideration by Treasury officials.
The matter was raised during the discussion, according to one person briefed on the talks.
London has slipped behind numerous rival financial centres in terms of the proceeds raised from IPOs, while the decision of major companies including AstraZeneca to upgrade their US listings has cast further doubt on the City’s relative appeal.
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A source said the creation of a Listings Taskforce, announced in the chancellor’s Mansion House speech earlier this year, would develop the UK’s “already-compelling pitch for listing in London”.
The Treasury has been contacted for comment following the meeting’s conclusion, while none of the companies contacted by Sky News would comment.
