Poland

After a record breaking year for sovereign bond issuance in central and eastern Europe, 2021 could be a different story, thanks to the European Union's vast economic support packages that could reduce the need for many CEE countries to tap international bond markets.

InPost, the Polish provider of postal lockers, has launched an IPO on the Amsterdam stock exchange, seeking to build on the momentum of compatriot e-commerce companies in equity capital markets, as exemplified by Allegro's IPO last year.

Canal+ Polska, the Polish satellite TV network, has pulled its IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, despite the strong momentum behind emerging market equities.

Emerging market IPOs have been one of the hottest themes in EMEA equity capital markets this year and issuance is set to continue as Canal+ Polska, the Polish television network owned by French TV service Canal+, launched its IPO on Thursday.

E-commerce listings have been been a high point of equity issuance during the second half of 2020, with the sector generating strong returns for investors. Most of the year’s listings have been completed, but banks are already working on deals from the sector for 2021.

Polish e-commerce firm Allegro has soared in trading on its first day, giving a huge boost to equity capital markets after a difficult period for IPOs.

Equity capital markets bankers are heralding the success of emerging markets IPOs set to be priced in the coming days and weeks, including the flotations of Russia’s Sovcomflot, Lithuania’s Ignitis, Saudi Arabia’s BinDawood and Kazakhstan’s Kaspi.

Polish e-commerce firm Allegro has priced its historic IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, the largest in its history, to become the most valuable listed Polish company. However, high demand for stock has meant that a substantial slice of investors in the IPO got no shares at all in allocations.

Allegro, the Polish e-commerce company, will grow the size of its Warsaw IPO to meet investor demand for the deal.

Allegro, the Polish e-commerce company, covered its Warsaw IPO throughout its range on the first day of bookbuilding on Tuesday as investors rushed into the book. It will be one of the largest IPOs of the year at about $2bn.

Ignitis Grupe, the state-owned Lithuanian energy and utility company, has opened books on its IPO on the Nasdaq Vilinus and London Stock Exchange. The company’s listing will benefit from a framework agreement signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, under which it will participate in the IPO.

This week’s £1.88bn ($2.43bn) IPO of The Hut Group (THG) in London is leading to hopes that European technology firms will follow in listing on their home markets rather than in the US.