2 Feb 2011

Stock market expects positive listing year

7:17 am on 2 February 2011

The NZX head of markets says the pipeline of companies gearing up for initial public offerings this year is looking more positive.

Building Society Holdings on Monday became the first company to list on the stock exchange's main board this year.

Kathmandu, DNZ Property Fund and Ecoya are the only other firms to have listed in the last two years, while comapnies like BioVittoria and Synlait shelved their plans to list, because of a lack of interest.

NZX head of markets Fiona MacKenzie says last year was quiet for initial public offerings, but this year's shaping up to be a bettter.

She says apart from Building Society Holdings, there are at least two IPOs of decent size, and the partial listing of state-owed enterprises announced by the Government will garner some interest.