The pollster and data analytics company YouGov, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, is considering a US listing, which would be the latest blow to the LSE.
Following its $342 million purchase of Germany-based GfK’s consumer panel business last month, YouGov may relocate its principal listing to the United States or create a subsidiary listing in the market, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
However, YouGov told Reuters via email that it had not yet taken a decision and was not planning to list in the United States anytime soon.
“I believe that the (American) markets are better able to support businesses like ours there. The United States spends the most money on marketing data and is the most astute. It is a natural foundation.
YouGov has now been added to the increasing list of London-listed businesses seeking to list in the United States as a result of the action.
Ferguson (FERG.L), a manufacturer of plumbing products, relocated its major listing to New York last year, while CRH (CRH.L), the largest manufacturer of building materials in the world, is planning a relocation of a similar nature for next month.
Shakespeare claimed that the company had previously been too small to consider expanding into the larger US market, but that this year’s €315 million purchase of the consumer panel division of German market research firm GfK had made the move more feasible.
“We’ve been too little up until now. Our size has expanded by 50% as a result of the recent acquisition. I do believe that introducing us to a larger market would be beneficial.
Given its reputable voting intention surveys, the business is still intimately identified with British politics even though it is now more popular in the US. The business, which had its name changed in opposition to a Tony Blair policy in the late 1990s, was headquartered in Westminster for a long time.
Large “panels” of consumer opinion and behavior are conducted by YouGov and utilized as the raw data to give businesses insights into how their brands and advertising are regarded.
Shakespeare, who was last month replaced as CEO by former Meta executive Steve Hatch, said the company would look for new markets, particularly in Europe.
Shakespeare, though, declared that he would not act as a “backseat driver” and that he no longer desired to be involved “with the executive side”. Instead, he not only acts as chair but also contributes to the writing of a book about views and has plans to build an arts center on a Greek island.
