The IPOs you should have backed this year

IPOs

As a spate of high-profile initial public offerings (IPOs) light up UK stock markets, Annabelle Williams speaks to two investors benefiting from the new listings.

Following a quiet 2012, there has been a rebound in the pace of new issues to the UK’s stock markets. According to Ernst & Young’s latest IPO Eye report, more IPO capital has been raised so far this year than in the whole of 2012. A number of well-known firms have decided the time is right to list, and recent IPOs from names such as Direct Line Group, Esure and Crest Nicholson have piqued investor interest and all were oversubscribed. The pick-up in IPOs is a sign the UK economy is recovering from post-crisis lows. Business confidence is improving and more companies feel the time is r...