Overview

• Rachel Reeves convened a private meeting on Monday with Goldman Sachs banker Anthony Gutman and city minister Lucy Rigby to pitch London to potential issuers.
• Executives from Waterstones, Gymshark, OakNorth, Starling, CFC Underwriting, David Lloyd Leisure and True Potential were among those attending, according to Sky News.
• The Treasury framed the session as a forum to gauge London’s attractiveness and to outline recent reforms, with Gutman providing an overview of the IPO landscape.
• London’s listings slump has deepened, with about £160m raised across five deals in the first half of 2025 and the largest IPO at £98m, while US exchanges took in $28.3bn across 156 offerings.
• Competitors questioned Goldman’s prominent role at a government-led event, a stamp duty exemption for new listings was reportedly discussed, and a Listings Taskforce will refine the UK’s pitch, with no decisions disclosed.