PwC Trumpets European Listings Surge

There has been a surge in public stock offerings during the second quarter of 2014 with 145 IPOs across European exchanges raising £17.7bn - almost twice the amount raised the previous quarter, and the most in any quarter since 2007, according to PwC.

The first two quarters of 2014 have heralded some 213 public listings, which is more than in any full year since the financial crisis, raising £26.8bn (€33.7bn, $45.9bn).

London led the way for the second quarter, with an impressive 54 listings in April to June, raising £7.9bn, while continental Europe and Ireland saw 91 companies taken public, raising £9.9bn.

Although the third quarter is expected to be quieter, some £9.6bn is expected to be raised from IPOs, said PwC.

"It's been over a year since the markets re-opened to IPOs, the longest run in recent years. We're now confident that we've entered a new era for companies wanting to go public and so as long as deals continue to perform, we see this positive trend set fair to continue," said Mark Hughes, a capital markets partner at PwC.

"Given the continued strength of the IPO pipeline, the prospects for Q3 remain strong and are likely to continue rebound towards pre-crisis levels," continued Hughes.

London Stock Exchange recently reported a 50% jump in full-year revenue to £1.1bn, up from 2013's £762.4m.

London listings of Just Eat and Poundland stirred up interest among investors: the former was valued at £1.47bn, whilst Poundland's offering raised £750m.