Wise Plc has announced plans to shift its primary listing from London to the United States, marking another significant exit from the UK capital market. While the company will retain a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, it said the move to the U.S. will provide greater access to capital, enhance liquidity, and offer more flexibility to investors. Wise’s Co-Founder and CEO, Kristo Käärmann, emphasized that the U.S. represents the company’s largest market opportunity. He stated, “We believe the addition of a primary US listing would help us accelerate our mission and bring substantial strategic and capital market benefits to Wise and our owners, the biggest market opportunity in the world for our products.”
The announcement follows similar decisions by firms such as Flutter Entertainment and CRH Plc, contributing to a broader trend of UK-listed firms worth nearly $100 billion moving their primary listings to the U.S. Wise expects the listing to make its shares more accessible to U.S. institutional and retail investors and potentially pave the way for inclusion in major U.S. indices. Käärmann noted, “We are fully committed to London and the UK. Operationally, we don’t expect to really shift much. So we see this as additive, rather than a move.” Wise’s stock rose sharply following the news, hitting a record high in early trading. Analysts cited increased liquidity and visibility as key benefits.
