Jersey has affirmed its position as a leading centre for companies looking to list, with the volume and value of Jersey companies listed on exchanges around the world rising significantly in the past 12 months, according to figures collated by Jersey Finance.
The latest figures show that there are now a total of 110 Jersey companies listed on exchanges around the world, reflecting growth of 13% on 2013 figures, whilst the total market capitalisation of those companies rose by around 62% year-on-year to GBP269 billion in 2014.
Of the 110 companies, 57 are quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) AIM market, representing the greatest number of AIM listed companies outside the UK. In addition, there are 38 companies listed on the LSE Main Market and one on the Specialist Fund Market. Jersey retains the greatest number of non-UK companies on the FTSE 100 index, with currently seven listed on the main LSE; a further eight Jersey companies are present in the FTSE 250 index.
The remainder of the Jersey listed companies are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam, the stock exchanges in Luxembourg, Hong Kong and Toronto, as well as the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
The 96 Jersey companies quoted in London are valued at almost GBP146 billion, whilst the Jersey companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange currently have a combined market capitalisation of GBP40.6 billion, and these listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange have a total market capitalisation of GBP65 billion.
This growth in 2014 was attributable to a number of highlights, including the GBP1 billion Initial Public Offering on the LSE, of Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate, the second largest real estate IPO in London’s history. After making its debut in February, the company raised an additional GBP352 million through a secondary offering in October.
Other, Jersey companies joining AIM in 2014 included online fashion retailer Boohoo.com, which undertook a corporate reorganisation and achieved a GBP300 million listing; Rame Energy, an international energy consultant, engineer and power generator, which joined in April with a GBP17.1 million market capitalisation; Galasys Plc, a leading provider of ticketing systems and solutions to the fast growing theme park industry in Asia, which achieved a market capitalisation of almost GBP15 million; and GTS Chemical Holdings Plc, a speciality chemicals producer and the largest Chinese manufacturer of ammonium sulphite.
Meanwhile, highlighting Jersey’s importance to the Asian markets in enabling investment into the UK, just under a fifth of Chinese companies currently listed on AIM are now incorporated in Jersey.
Geoff Cook (pictured), Chief Executive of Jersey Finance, says: “The capital markets and listings sector is rapidly cementing itself as a key pillar of our finance industry, and we are taking every opportunity to reinforce Jersey’s appeal for listings and other such transactions. The inaugural Jersey Finance Asia Roadshows in November last year were a case in point, providing us with a real opportunity to present our capital markets offering to key markets in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
“The emphasis is very much on high value listings, and this is reflected in Jersey having the largest number of FTSE 100 companies registered outside the UK, more companies listed on AIM than any other jurisdiction, and a combined market capitalisation on exchanges around the world that has risen dramatically over the past 12 months to nearly GBP270bn. Jersey is really asserting itself as a key European centre for high quality listings business and offers established and popular means for companies looking to access capital in major markets, particularly the UK.”
