Strong First Half Of 2016 For New Listings At Nasdaq’s Nordic Exchanges

Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) welcomed 50 listings to its Nordic markets* during the first and second quarter of 2016, raising above 4.2 billion EUR in total. The solid inflow of new listings is similar to what Nasdaq experienced during the record year of 2015, and shows that the Nordic listings environment remains strong.

“Nasdaq Nordic has outperformed most other European markets in 2015 and 2016, both in terms of capital raised as well as number of new listings,” said Adam Kostyál, senior vice president and head of European listings at Nasdaq. “In addition, Nasdaq First North has been the leading European growth market for five consecutive quarters, and we are pleased to provide both Nordic and international SMEs with the listing platform and investor visibility needed to grow their businesses.”

Eighteen of Nasdaq Nordic’s new listings in Q1 and Q2 2016 occurred on the main market, while 32 occurred on Nasdaq First North. In addition, a total number of 3 companies have transferred from First North to the main market.

Some notable listings during the first half of 2016 include gaming company Paradox Interactive AB in Stockholm, general discount retailer Tokmanni Group Oyj in Helsinki and DONG Energy A/S in Copenhagen. DONG Energy A/S entered Nasdaq Copenhagen with a market cap of 107.8 billion DKK, making it the largest company to list in the Nordics since 2000 and the largest IPO of 2016 across global exchanges.

“While Nasdaq is a pan-Nordic market, we see a few differences at a local level,” said Kostyál. “Both Stockholm and Helsinki have seen an exceptional inflow of small and mid-sized companies, while Copenhagen once again showcased its large cap listing capabilities with the listing of DONG Energy in June.“

The second largest IPO in the region during the first half of 2016 was Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S – raising 477 million EUR with a market cap of 1 340 mEUR – followed by Resurs Holding AB (raising 390 million EUR, market cap 1 202 mEUR). Furthermore, Nasdaq Nordic has continued to attract interest from companies within a wide range of different industries. A particularly strong interest from the Health Care, Financials and Consumer Services sectors could however be seen during the time period.

“At the moment, the current indication for the second half of 2016 is that our pipeline looks strong and the IPO climate remains resilient, despite the recent Brexit announcement,” said Adam Kostyál. “The listings environment is closely linked to the overall macro-economic climate, but as it is now, I expect that we will have welcomed a number of additional, interesting companies as we conclude the year in December:”

H1 2016, Nasdaq Nordic Listings highlights**

H1 2016, Nasdaq Stockholm Listings Highlights

*Main markets and Nasdaq First North at Nasdaq Copenhagen, Nasdaq Helsinki, Nasdaq Iceland and Nasdaq Stockholm.
** Data Source: Nasdaq Nordic, Econ & Stat Research
*** Includes IPOs as well as transfers from other markets to Nasdaq Nordic main markets and First North.
**** Includes switches from Nasdaq First North to the main market