How the FCA's Prospectus Reform deals with the ghost of the mini-bond scandal

Retail investor access to corporate bonds

The Financial Conduct Authority’s newly unveiled Prospectus Reforms will aim to lower the costs of raising capital for businesses, in a bid for the regulator to align with Chancellor’s Rachel Reeves growth agenda.

Part of the changes include streamlining and simplifying prospectuses for listed companies and halving the time between a prospectus being issued and an initial public offering (IPO), to allow companies to float quicker on the London Stock Exchange. The reforms also pave the way for greater retail investor access to corporate bonds, as companies will be able to issue such products via a new ‘public offer platform' (POP), which will facilitate smaller growth companies raise cash to scale up. FCA reforms rules around mini-bonds offering to retail investors However, retail investors h...