YouGov insists it’s not abandoning London after boss hints at US listing
YouGov insists it’s not abandoning London after boss hints at US listing
YouGov has insisted it is not abandoning London after its boss suggested it could be eyeing a US listing.
Co-founder and chairman Stephan Shakespeare sparked speculation it was about to jump ship by saying the US felt like a ‘natural base’ for the company.
He suggested the polling firm, which he set up in 2000 with ex-Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi, was big enough to float across the Atlantic after it acquired German market research group GfK for £271million earlier this year.
American dreams: YouGov chairman Stephan Shakespeare (pictured) sparked speculation the firm was about to jump ship by saying the US felt like a ‘natural base’ for the company
He told the Financial Times: ‘The US spends the most on marketing data. They are the most savvy. It is a natural base.’
Shakespeare also said that US markets were better at supporting companies than the UK was. But the company insisted a move is not on the cards.
A spokesman for YouGov said: ‘The board routinely considers all its listing options, including a premium listing on the LSE. No decision has been made and a US listing is not being considered in the near term.’
YouGov’s departure from the London market would be another blow to the City.