New chair Amsterdam Exchange

René van Vlerken (Geldrop, 1971) is the new chair of Euronext Amsterdam as of today. He follows Simone Huis in ‘t Veld, who has held the position since 2019. Since the origins of the modern Amsterdam Exchange in 1876, Van Vlerken is the 21^st exchange chair. René van Vlerken is known by his colleagues as a ‘real stock market man’. He has worked at Euronext Amsterdam since 2017 after previously working at ABN AMRO and Rabobank. He has been Head of Listings in the Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe for the past six years. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Amsterdam Exchange since 2018.

Constant record breaking on the AEX index

Since the record was broken on 6 February this year, the AEX index has seen a deluge of records being broken in the first half of 2024. In fact, it officially happened fifteen times between 6 February and 10 July 2024. And after the magic barrier of 900 points was broken for the first time on 7 May, the index today reached its highest level ever: 939.62. This is thanks to the chip industry companies ASML, ASM International and Besi, who are making a huge contribution to the forward momentum the AEX is enjoying.

ASML price above €1,000

The exchange fund ASML experienced a historic moment: the stock price broke the €1,000 barrier for the first time. This brings the total market value of this chip machine manufacturer to €400 billion. This is as much as the four well known market names of Shell, Unilever, Heineken and Ahold combined. While ASML has been the largest company in the Netherlands in terms of market value for some time, and is also the second largest listed company in Europe, the company is still relatively unknown to the general public. It’s high time for a short introduction.

London Tunnels comes to the Amsterdam Exchange

Today a special British company listed at Beursplein 5: London Tunnels Plc. This company wants to create a tourist attraction under the centre of London in an empty tunnel network that dates back to the Second World War. The aim is to open the doors in 2027, and to attract 3 million visitors per year.

10th anniversary of Euronext IPO

After the split of the transatlantic exchange group NYSE Euronext (2007-2014), Euronext was able to stand on its own two feet again in 2014 through a listing on its own exchange. It needed to reinvent itself, so to speak. Exactly 10 years ago today, employees sounded the gong at all locations of the exchange organisation. A lot has happened in the past ten years. In 2014, four exchanges: Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and Paris, were part of Euronext; since then the Dublin, Oslo and Milan exchanges have also joined the European exchange group. In addition to the seven exchanges, many non-trading institutions are now also part of Euronext. This is a conscious strategic choice and makes Euronext less dependent on exchange trading in terms of turnover and profit figures.

KPMG study

KPMG published its research report into the state of the Dutch capital market and presented it to the Ministry of Economic Affairs during an event at Beursplein 5 on 21 May 2024. The study, which KPMG carried out on behalf of Stichting Capital Amsterdam and following an earlier study in 2013, is based on interviews with sixty relevant market parties. The report concludes that the capital market in the Netherlands works reasonably well, but various bottlenecks and areas for improvement were also identified.

IPO of super investor CVC

A single blue flag with CVC in white letters was hung out on the facade of Beursplein 5. After previous attempts in May 2022 and November 2023, investment company CVC Capital Partners today quietly made its debut on the Amsterdam Exchange. As usual with closed corporate culture, the new exchange fund will refrain from a press conference and the usual gong ceremony. Nevertheless, the introduction has been a success. CVC raised €2.3 billion with the IPO. A small part of this concerns the issuance of new shares, while the majority concerns shares offered by some minority shareholders. Private investors cannot participate; the sale is only open to institutional investors. After the IPO, CVC now appears to be worth €17 billion.

100 years of the Vereniging van Effectenbezitters (VEB)

Today is a memorable day for the VEB, the interest group for investors and securities holders in the Netherlands. It was founded in The Hague exactly 100 years ago under the name Vereniging Effectenbescherming (Association of Securities Protection). On its centenary, it receives the ‘Royal’ designation.

Market debut of Greek Cypriot Theon

Theon, the Greek Cypriot defence company, made its debut on the Amsterdam Exchange on today. This is a special IPO considering that, since the introduction of software company MotorK in November 2021, this is the first time an ordinary company has issued new shares during its debut at Beursplein 5. This was not the case for the IPOs of Exor in 2022 and Ferrovial in 2023, while SPACS cannot be regarded as real companies. The international character of the exchange in the capital was a contributing factor in Theon’s choice for Amsterdam.

New closing record for the AEX index

It’s been a while since the AEX index reached its provisional highest closing level of 827.57 in November 2021. But the celebrations continued today. The AEX index reached a new closing record of 831.09. The index mainly reflects the success of chip machine builder ASML, which is now the most important fund at Beursplein 5 due to the incessant hunger for chips.

Still no cancellation of listings

After Euronext Amsterdam threatened to delist eight small funds April 2023, it appears they can now keep their place on the Damrak. The reason for the impending cancellation was that they had been unable to engage an accountant for a long time and were therefore unable to submit approved annual accounts. Initially they were given a deadline of early November 2023 to find an accountant and/or submit annual accounts. In October 2023, Euronext Amsterdam offered the funds a postponement until mid-January 2024. The reason for this was that the Portugal route, which had previously offered Value 8 a solution in finding an accountant, was seen as a viable option for the other small exchange funds.

Patriarch of the options exchange passed away

Jos Dreesens, the patriarch of the Amsterdam options exchange, passed away today. It is said that without the continued promotion of Tjerk Westerterp, the Amsterdam options exchange would never have become the overwhelming success it was, but without Jos Dreesens, the exchange would not have even existed. In fact, it was he who came up with the idea for founding the Options Exchange in the early 1970s. Boy Korthals Altes, the chairman of the Amsterdam stock exchange, to whom he presented the idea with his boss, was initially suspicious of the plan. The stock market was in a slump at the time, which is why he saw no point in following the Chicago example of setting up a separate options exchange in Amsterdam.

Time for Exchange drumming

After 400 years, the exchange still continues its special tradition of Exchange drumming. After the previous edition at the end of 2022, Amsterdam schoolchildren accompanied by a Caribbean drum band once again disturbed the peace of the exchange building with their loud drumming.

Exit of Brill and the emptying of Beursplein 5

Brill, the scientific publisher from Leiden, has been taken over by German industry peer, De Gruyter. This has put an end to the listing for this small exchange fund that has been linked to the Amsterdam Exchange since 1896. Brill’s exchange exit is not an isolated event. Eight smaller funds left the exchange or announced their departure throughout 2023 alone. In addition to Brill, drinks company Bols, sleep expert Beter Bed, ski group Snow World and the call centre company Majorel have all been affected. The departures often follow an acquisition by a strategic partner or private equity party.

Tjerk Westerterp passed away

At the age of 92, Tjerk Westerterp, the first director (1978-1992) and outstanding pioneer of the Amsterdam Options Exchange founded in 1978, passed away today. The Amsterdam Exchange owes a lot to this former politician who, after a 15-year career in The Hague, was responsible for something completely new: the marketing of options. While working as Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, he was able to introduce mandatory helmet use and mandatory seat belts against stiff opposition; however, the introduction of options required more time. No one in the Netherlands knew anything about options, and it took five years before the general public gradually embraced the new product and thus the new exchange.

Exchange listing for QEV Technologies

After a merger with SPEAR Investments I, a SPAC that came to the Amsterdam Exchange in November 2021, Spanish QEV Technologies was listed on Beursplein 5 today. The Barcelona technology company, which had previously participated in a Euronext pre-IPO programme, is a manufacturer of electric vans and sports cars. For the time being, the number of vehicles being produced has been limited to approximately 250, but the plan is to be able to deliver more than 15,000 by 2027.

80 years of Het Financieele Dagblad

Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) celebrated its 80th birthday today. The leading exchange sector magazine does not want to dwell on it. This may have to do with the special year of birth: 1943. During this war year, the newspaper emerged from a merger forced by the occupying forces of its two predecessors: the Amsterdamsch Effectenblad dating from 1843 and the Dagelijksche Beurscourant annex De Nederlandsche Financier dating from 1864. The merger was related to a general concentration of daily and weekly newspapers in those years.

IPO Global Interconnection Group

Through a merger with the SPAC Disruptive Capital Acquisition Company (DCAC), UK-based Global Interconnection Group (CIG) is making its debut on the Amsterdam Exchange today. CIG, which like DCAC hails from Guernsey, is a young company that makes its money from the development, construction and operation of connections, such as high-voltage cables. In doing so, DCAC is succeeding in its aim, within the stipulated deadline, to acquire a company, although contrary to the 2021 plan, it has not become a financial services provider. End 2022, a takeover of Saxo Bank, a broker that also operates in the Netherlands, fell through at the last minute.

Shoe brand goes to Nxchange

Shoe brand Van Lier, best known for men’s dress shoes, will be listed on the alternative exchange Nxchange from today. The listing will raise €5 million for the Breda-based family business, which dates back to 1815. It plans to use these funds to expand abroad and strengthen its online marketing activities. The aim is to reach younger customers and to highlight the new women’s collection. In order to preserve the family character of the company, the listing involves only the issue of non-voting shares.

Listing of Ferrovial

Spanish construction company Ferrovial will be listed on the Amsterdam Exchange from today. The introduction is taking place in relative silence. This may have been prompted by the fuss earlier in Spain surrounding its move to and listing in Amsterdam. Even the Spanish prime minister has expressed outrage about it. According to him and other cabinet members, it is a vulgar tax flight to the “tax haven” of the Netherlands, with Ferrovial achieving €40 million a year in tax savings. A reproach that was also made to Italy’s Exor in 2022.

‘SPACS: a failed experiment…?’

Het Financieele Dagblad, the newspaper for everyone who matters in the financial sector, called the SPAC craze a ‘failed experiment’ in an editorial today. She writes that it is admirable that the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is open to innovation. This fits well with the exchange’s tradition of pioneering and trying new things.

De-SPAC New Amsterdam Invest

Through an unusual route, the New Amsterdam Invest SPAC successfully managed to find a merger partner today after almost two years. It is merging with Sommerset Park, a property fund set up a few days earlier by the SPAC itself. This is possibly due to the difficult stock market climate at the time and the fact that the SPAC hype of 2021 has now run its course. After the merger the company taking over the listing will continue under the pre-existing SPAC name: New Amsterdam Invest.

100 years of women in the stock market

Today marks exactly 100 years since the first woman joined the Amsterdam Stock Exchange as a member: Henriëtte Wilhelmina Deterding (1899-1978). Globally, this move was seen as particularly early. It wasn’t until much later that women joined the New York (1967) and London (1973) stock exchanges. The 100^th anniversary of this historic event is a good moment to put Henriëtte Deterding in the spotlight.

Rare delistings

The Amsterdam Exchange took a rare step today. It announced the delisting of six exchange funds if they failed to ensure submission of audited financial statements by early November. The companies have been sitting on the exchange’s penalty bench. This has never happened since the introduction of the penalty bench measure in 1981. The companies in question are ladder manufacturer Alumexx, property investor Bever Holding, holding company Lavide, mapmaker Geojunxion, sustainable investor New Sources Energy and developer of CO₂ projects DGB.

40 years of AEX index

Tjerk Westerterp, the first director of the Amsterdam Options Exchange, was the spiritual father of the AEX-index in 1983. The story is that he conceived the outline of the index 40 years ago on the back of a cigar box during a train journey between Liège and Luxembourg. The aim was to trade index options on it and certainly not to develop a barometer of the Dutch economy. Even Westerterp was surprised that the index nevertheless achieved this status in the course of time.

Publication of book on the stock market

Today, Peter de Waard, journalist and Volkskrant columnist, is launching a book for the general reader on the Dutch exchange market and capital markets since 1975. This is the period when the playing field has changed dramatically due to developments such as internationalisation and digitisation of the exchange sector. The title is ‘The Secret of Beursplein 5‘.

Adapting Corporate Governance Code

Six years after the last revision, a new version of the Corporate Governance Code is published today. This time, the additions mainly pertain to sustainability aspects. In particular, they address the social responsibility of the corporate world for people and the environment.

400 years of Exchange drumming

After Amsterdam schoolchildren came to open the Amsterdam Exchange with drumbeats for the last time in 2019, there is a very special reason to continue the age-old tradition of Exchange drumming today. Indeed, this year marks exactly 400 years since the start of this particular exchange tradition, which started thanks to an observant orphan boy who, during the Eighty Years’ War, prevented a Spanish attack on the exchange building. For the drumming children, it’s a good reason to make extra noise today.

A quiet market debut at Beursplein 5

Today, in relative silence, the Amsterdam exchange welcomes a large new stock exchange fund: Exor. Founded by the Agnelli family, it is an Italian investment company behind the Fiat group. The company is making the remarkable switch from the Milan stock exchange to the one in Amsterdam. It’s a step that may have been prompted by the fact that the Milan stock exchange recently joined the Euronext exchange group.

Exor has 75,000 employees, manages €30 billion, and is a major shareholder of Juventus football club, as well as car groups as Fiat and Ferrari. The official reason for the move to Beursplein 5 is to bring the stock exchange listing and the head office – which has been located on the Amsterdam Zuidas since 2016 – under the same jurisdiction. It is also expected that more trade in the shares can be generated in Amsterdam with its international investors.

FL Entertainment to the exchange via SPAC

FL Entertainment (FLE) is making its appearance at Beursplein 5 today under a difficult market climate. The route to the stock exchange is via a merger with the SPAC Pegasus Entrepreneurs. FLE is a global entertainment company consisting of two global parts: 1) an international production house called Banijay Group; and 2) Betclic Everest Group, an online gambling and gaming company.

Launch of the new AEX ESG Index

The Netherlands is getting a new index today. In addition to the trusted AEX index, Euronext is launching the AEX ESG index today. The index consists of the 25 AEX and Midkap index companies that perform best in the field of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG). The stock exchange will therefore meet the growing demand among investors for sustainable investments.

Second SPAC of 2022

Although the SPAC hype of 2021 seems to be on its way out, a new SPAC is nevertheless coming to the Amsterdam Exchange, without much publicity: RA Special Acquisition Corporation. After the arrival of GP Bullhound in February, this is the second SPAC in 2022 and the twentieth SPAC in total to make its appearance at the Amsterdam Exchange since 2018. The listing raised $230 million for RA Special Acquisition, from the British Cayman Islands. It plans to use the funds raised to take over a company operating in the financial sector in Europe.

Update: RA Special Acquisition rebranded in May 2023 as Iris Financial

BenevolentAI makes market debut after merger with SPAC

British drug developer BenevolentAI is making its debut on Beursplein 5 today. It will do so after a merger with the Luxembourg company, Odyssey. This means Odyssey is the fourth SPAC to succeed in finding a takeover candidate. And what’s more, the plan is for it to be a technology and healthcare company. BenevolentAI develops medicines using artificial intelligence (AI). Although it is currently making a loss, the company sees a bright future for itself.

CABKA to exchange via SPAC merger

German recycling company Cabka was listed on the Amsterdam exchange today after a merger with the Dutch SPAC DSCT Cabka recycles plastic into pallets and containers. Customers include Heineken, Volkswagen and Lidl. For DSCT, this means it has succeeded in finding a takeover candidate after almost a year and a half. This makes the company the third SPAC to succeed after DSCO and EFIC1. It is remarkable that Cabka only ended up with €45 million of the €110 million raised in 2020. Money that the recycling company has reserved for future acquisitions. The founders of DSCT remain involved with Cabka.

First SPAC of 2022

The SPAC craze of 2021, with 16 listings in Amsterdam, looks likely to continue in 2022. GP Bullhound Acquisition I SE has made an appearance on Beursplein 5 today. The proceeds of the IPO will be €200 million. Bullhound wants to use this to acquire a tech company. Behind the new SPAC is the investment company with the same name, which is, for example, also known as the backer of streaming service Spotify.

Update: Bullhound has failed to find a merger partner and will be wound up after returning approximately the invested amounts in May 2023.

SPAC merger Azerion

Following an announcement in December 2021, gaming and advertising company Azerion has merged with the SPAC EFIC1 and will be listed on Beursplein 5 today. The owner of more than 16,000 online games is from Amsterdam and, together with the SPAC, is going against the market sentiment. WeTransfer cancelled its IPO at the last minute, but Azerion simply carries on.

Shell also moves to London

More than a year after Unilever, the shareholders of Royal Dutch Shell have also chosen to move their headquarters to the United Kingdom. Whereas the company has been British since 2005, the board will now no longer meet in The Hague. According to the company itself, it has opted for strength by getting rid of the dual share structure with A shares in Amsterdam and B shares in London. From now on there will only be B shares, also in Amsterdam.

A SPACtacular year

It has been called a ‘dream year’, the year 2021. Not only the Brexit was good for Amsterdam, the number of IPOs also reached great heights. No fewer than twenty-five new funds made their debut on Beursplein 5. Together, they raised almost €80 billion. This is a record because never before has so much money been raised in one year by IPOs. It was not without reason that the AEX index broke record after record and reached its highest ever (for the time being) level in November: 827.57 points. All the more reason to be happy, especially as it was also a year during which the economy struggled with major problems due to the pandemic. The Amsterdam stock exchange was one of the best in the world.

Brigade-M3: 16th SPAC in Amsterdam

Brigade-M3 European Acquisition Company has earned €250 million with its IPO. With that, Brigade-M3, the 16^th SPAC in Amsterdam this year, wants to acquire a company that has responded well to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Update: Brigade M3 has failed to find a merger partner and will be wound up after returning approximately the invested amounts in June 2023.

Pegasus: 15th SPAC in Amsterdam

After Bernard Arnault, together with an associate, listed Pegasus Acquisition on the stock exchange in April, he is listing a second SPAC on Beursplein 5 today. Pegasus Entrepreneurial Acquisition Company Europe has an almost identical name and, as the 15^th SPAC this year, has earned €210 million. With this amount, the SPAC wants to acquire a fast-growing company with European headquarters.

Update: Following a merger, entertainment company FL Entertainment took over the listing of Pegasus Entrepreneurial on 1 July 2022.

EPIC: 14th SPAC in Amsterdam

Almost three weeks after the introduction of EHC, EPIC Acquisition Corp becomes the 14^th SPAC this year on the Amsterdam stock exchange. With the IPO, EPC has earned €150 million. With that amount, EPIC wants to merge with a company that trades in consumer goods in Europe and has growth potential in Asia.

Update: Update: EPIC fails to find a merger partner and will stop in February 2024 after returning most of the investment.

EHC: 13th SPAC in Amsterdam

European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company (EHC) debuts as the 13^th SPAC on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. . EHC has earned an amount of €200 million with the IPO and wants to use this money to acquire one or more companies in the European healthcare industry.

Highest position AEX index

After the AEX index broke a 20-year old record on 1 April 2021 and passed the 800-points mark in September, today, the stock exchange index reached its highest level ever: 827.57.

SPEAR: 12th SPAC in Amsterdam

Today, SPEAR Investments I has become the 12th SPAC this year in Amsterdam. Successful Partners in Europe for Acceleration Returns (SPEAR) has earned €175 million during its debut and is now looking to acquire “companies with strong foundations and technology that are focused on innovation and change.”

Update: After a merger, QEV Technologies acquired the listing of SPEAR Investments I in October 2023.

Italian software company goes public

Italian software company MotorK is listed on Beursplein 5. The manufacturer of sales software for car dealers has earned €75 million with the IPO , much less than the previously envisioned €500 million. This is illustrative of the difficult situation the IPO market has recently found itself in. Ebusco also suffered from this during its recent debut and Coolblue even cancelled its IPO. What also doesn’t help in MotorK’s case is that the IPO in Amsterdam was mainly prompted by the recent accession of the Milan Stock Exchange to Euronext, and that it is therefore not well known in the Netherlands.

Electric buses on Beursplein 5

Ebusco, the manufacturer of electric buses and charging systems, is making its debut on the Amsterdam stock exchange. The company is based in Deurne and currently has electric buses driving around Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Munich. The IPO will earn them €300 million for further growth. This will be achieved by issuing new shares which will be placed primarily with institutional investors. It is noteworthy that this listing is accompanied by a physical gong reception for the first time in a long time.

Medical technology company goes public

Medical technology company ONWARD Medical NV is to be listed on the Euronext stock exchanges in Amsterdam and Brussels. The Swiss-Dutch company, based in Lausanne and Eindhoven, has developed a system that will help people with a transverse aphasia to walk again by means of implants and electronic stimuli in the spinal cord. The goal of the IPO, which will be based on the issuing of new shares, is to finance new research. A total of €86.5 million will be available for this after the first day on the stock exchange.

11th SPAC to go public

Today, without any significant media attention, the Amsterdam stock exchange has welcomed this year’s 11^th SPAC: Disruptive Capital Acquisition Company (DCACS). Remarkably, the listing will take place in Pounds Sterling, as the company aims to accommodate prospective investors from the UK. DCACS is an initiative of a financial institution with (nearly) the same name, which is based on the British channel island of Guernsey. The IPO is worth £125 million, which DCACS intends to use for the acquisition of a financial service provider in Northern or Western Europe.

Luxembourg call centre company goes public

Three days after French media conglomerate Vivendi listed a unit on the Amsterdam stock exchange, German media group Bertelsmann is doing the same. The media group is having a difficult year and has therefore decided to sell part of its 50 percent interest in Majorel, the call centre company from Luxembourg, and to cash in. The Moroccan Elalamy family, which holds the other half of the shares, has done the same. The IPO of Majorel, which employs over sixty thousand people in 31 countries and operates telephone customer services and call centres for large companies, generated a revenue of €3.3 billion despite a fall in the share price on the first day of trading.

Update: Following an acquisition by industry peer Teleperformance, Majorel’s listing was cancelled in December 2023.

AEX index breaks through 800 barrier

After an almost continuous flow of new records since 1 April 2021, the AEX index has reached a new milestone: breaking through the 800 barrier for the first time. In addition to the AEX index recently reaching that level intraday, today, the main index closed above it for the first time at 800.61. The index began this year at 624 points, which is an increase of more than 28 percent. The increase is mainly due to the rise in the share price of ASML.

Pop music back on Beursplein 5

Universal Music Group (UMG), one of the largest music companies in the world, will be listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. Vivendi, the Paris-based parent company of UMG, is the initiator of the IPO. With this demerger, the French media conglomerate is trying to realise a better valuation of UMG. And the results speak for themselves: the IPO has been a great success with immediate substantial share price increases and a total market value of more than €45 billion after the first trading day.

New options exchange in Amsterdam

Today, Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe) will open a new derivatives exchange in Amsterdam. The official name is CEDX, which stands for Cboe European Derivatives Exchange. It’s an exchange where investors can trade options and futures contracts for example on ‘own’ variants of the main indices of the stock exchanges in London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam. Cboe’s move cannot be seen separately from the relocation of much of the share trade to Amsterdam as a result of the Brexit. Nor can it be seen separately from the move of Cboe itself to the capital.

10th SPAC this year

The popularity of SPACS is at an all-time high today. On the same day that VAM Investments comes to Beursplein 5, another SPAC called Energy Transition Partners (ENTP) – the tenth this year – also makes a ‘silent’ debut on the Amsterdam stock exchange. The initiator is a former chairman of the board of British oil company BP. The €175 million in raised capital is intended for the acquisition of an energy company from the European Union, the United Kingdom or Switzerland that is active in the field of energy transition.

Update: Energy Transition Partners fails to find a merger partner and will stop in February 2024 after returning most of the investment.

Italian SPAC goes public

Two weeks after the arrival of New Amsterdam Invest, the ninth SPAC this year, VAM Investments SPAC, has made a relatively quiet appearance on the Amsterdam stock exchange. This time it is an Italian initiative, which may be related to the Milan Stock Exchange recently joining the Euronext group. The IPO will generate an amount of €225 million. The purpose of this capital is to invest in companies in the consumer and service industry in the European Union, the United Kingdom or Switzerland.

Update: VAM fails to find a merger partner and will stop in February 2024 after returning most of the investment.

Real estate SPAC goes public

Today, four days after the arrival of Odyssey, New Amsterdam Invest, a Dutch SPAC that focuses on real estate, made an appearance on Beursplein 5. The eighth SPAC of the year will earn more than €49 million, which it wants to use to buy a stake in a commercial real estate company in Europe or the United States that is attractive to investors.

Update: Following a merger with real estate fund Sommerset, the real estate fund will take over the listing of the eponymous SPAC in June 2023 under the new name New Amsterdam Invest.

SPAC Odyssey goes public

The SPAC craze continues. Two days after the arrival of CTCA 1, Odyssey Acquisition S.A. has been listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange in relative silence. It is already the seventh SPAC in Amsterdam this year. Odyssey is based in Luxembourg and is raising a total of €300 million to focus on the acquisition of companies in the healthcare, technology, media and telecom industries.

Update: Following a merger, UK medicine developer BenevolentAI took over Odyssey’s listing on 25 April 2022.

‘Green’ SPAC on the stock exchange

Today, one week after the IPO of Crystal Peak Acquisition, the Amsterdam stock exchange welcomes the sixth SPAC this year: Climate Transition Capital Acquisition 1 (CTCA 1). CTCA 1 will raise €190 million with this IPO. The aim is to accelerate the European energy transition by bringing together public capital and green companies.

Update: Climate Transition has failed to find a merger partner and will be wound up after returning approximately the invested amounts in June 2023.

IPO of 5th SPAC of 2021

Following the arrival of Hedosophia, Crystal Peak Acquisition is yet another British SPAC listed on the stock exchange that focuses on the acquisition of a tech company. This is the fifth SPAC to be listed in Amsterdam this year. Once again, the IPO will take place without any significant publicity. The IPO will raise $150 million. The goal is to use this capital to take over a company from Europe, the Middle East or Africa that focuses on cloud services or fintech and, in doing so, to gain access to the stock exchange.

Water purification company on the stock exchange

NX Filtration, a sustainable water purification company that emerged from the University of Twente, will be listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. The business model is based on ground-breaking technology to rid water and drinks of bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. One of its current customers is beer brewery Grolsch, but in principle, this opens up the possibility for offering clean drinking water all over the world.

British SPAC quietly goes public

Two weeks after the arrival of the French Pegasus, the fourth SPAC of 2021 has made an appearance on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. Hedosophia European Growth has raised €460 million with the IPO, which it wants to use to acquire and list a European technology company in the next two years. As the British initiators prefer to stay out of the media, the IPO took place in relative silence and lacked the usual gong ceremony.

Takeover of Milan stock exchange

After it had already become clear in October 2020 that Euronext had settled the battle with Deutsche Börse and the Swiss SIX in its favour, Euronext has finalised its acquisition of the Milan Stock Exchange today. The acquisition is worth over €4.4 billion. Borsa Italiana was acquired from LSE, which had to give it up because of the European Commission in order to limit its market power.

SPAC richest man in France goes public

Bernard Arnault, the richest man in France and Europe, is, together with his business partners, bringing Pegasus Acquisition Company Europe, a new SPAC, to the Amsterdam stock exchange today. After EFIC1, this is the third blank cheque company that applies for investment capital on Beursplein 5 this year.

Spanish fintech company goes public

The arrival of the Spanish company Allfunds means that the Amsterdam stock exchange has gained yet another fintech company. Allfunds operates a digital platform, which is used by more than 100,000 investment funds, to link investors to fund managers.

New record AEX index

Today, after 21 years, the AEX index, the main index of the Amsterdam stock exchange, has broken the record of 701.56, registered on 4 September 2000, and reached a new high of 708.43. The new milestone was achieved primarily thanks to well-performing tech stocks, which are increasingly playing a role in the composition of the index.

IPO of ‘Fintech’ SPAC

Following the recent IPO of ESG Core Investments, the second SPAC of 2021 will be listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. We are talking about EFIC1, which, with €415 million in capital raised today, aims to list a fintech company within two years. This goal is also reflected in the full name: European Fintech IPO Company 1, that the initiators – who all have a background in the financial sector – have given the new SPAC.

Hall builder CTP goes public

Prague-based Central Trade Park (CTP) is making its stock market debut in Amsterdam. CTP is a builder of business parks and logistics halls in countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania. The company’s clients include C&A and Primark. The main goal of the IPO is to raise money for further growth in Central and Eastern Europe and to expand into Western Europe, including the Netherlands, the country of origin of the founder and also the location of CTP’s parent company. To this end, 60 million new shares will be issued among institutional investors. After the first day of trading, these will account for approximately €850 million in new capital.

The bull is back on the Beursplein

After a necessary repair, the famous bronze statue of the bull has returned to the entrance of the Amsterdam stock exchange. The bull, which was secretly placed there in 2012 by Italian-American artist Arturo di Modica (1941-2021), broke a leg at the end of 2019. The returned sculpture is a replica of the ‘Charging Bull’ which the artist placed at the New York Stock Exchange in secret in 1989.

ESG SPAC listing

After the earlier listings of DSCO and DSCT, the first SPAC of 2021 will make its appearance on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. ESG Core Investments has raised approximately €250 million with the IPO and will be looking for a company with a strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) profile. Or, in other words, for a company that stands out and distinguishes itself by its socially responsible way of doing business. The initiator is Infestos, the investment company of Bernard ten Doeschot, who previously listed Alfen.

Amsterdam: early winner after Brexit

Amsterdam appears to have surpassed London in the month of January as Europe’s largest trading centre for shares. Per day, an average of €9.2 billion in shares was traded, more than four times as much as last December. Conversely, London fell from an average daily volume of €14.6 billion to €8.6 billion over the same two months.

Polish company listed on Amsterdam stock exchange

InPost, a Polish company that offers fully automated lockers from which consumers can collect parcels, will be listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange today. The current owner, American venture capitalist Advent is bringing 500 million existing shares to the stock exchange, which is about 35 percent of their total. Bij de beursgang worden geen nieuwe aandelen uitgegeven. InPost is not (yet) active on the Dutch market. The choice for the IPO on the Damrak is inspired by the low ‘threshold’ that applies for this type of listing in Amsterdam and the fact that several technology companies are already listed there.

New shareholders NPEX

NPEX, the SME exchange in The Hague, will have two new shareholders in addition to its current major shareholders, including the Dutch State. These are a fintech company and a company that manages the assets of wealthy families. After a difficult phase and a relaunch of NPEX in 2018, they want to use a capital injection to stimulate the growth and marketability of the alternative financing platform. The first goal is to further digitalise the platform and broaden the product range. The ultimate goal is to eventually grow into the first pan-European SME exchange.

Unilever will become fully British

After 90 years, the dual nationality of the main Unilever fund is coming to an end. Since the merger of the British Lever Brothers and the Dutch Margarine Unie in 1930, the food group had always remained an Anglo-Dutch enterprise with two companies, two headquarters and two classes of shares: PLC and NV shares. The shares of the British British Public Limited Company (PLC) were listed in London, while the shares of the Dutch Public Limited Company (NV) were listed in Amsterdam.

Listing new SPAC

The founders of Dutch Star Company One (DSCO), which recently helped CM.com to get listed, are bringing a second SPAC to the Amsterdam stock exchange today: Dutch Star Company Two (DSCT). Like DSCO, DSCT is a so-called Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), an exchange fund without its own activities that uses the raised capital – in this case €110 million – to find a company to merge with, after which that company takes over the listing.

Second listing AdUx

AdUx, a French specialist in digital ads that is also active in the Netherlands, strengthens its presence in our country and will acquire, in addition to Paris, a second listing in Amsterdam.

Douwe Egberts goes public for the third time

Douwe Egberts, now a subsidiary of the American-German-Dutch company JDE Peet’s, is set to make its second return onto the Amsterdam exchange. The coffee company made its first appearance at Beursplein 5 in 1982. Because its former American parent company, which would later be known as Sara Lee, decided to delist the company shortly after, its initial run on the exchange only lasted until 1984.