What did the EY IPO report show?
EY’s H1 2026 UK IPO report, released on 7 July 2026, found that the amount raised through UK market debuts in the first six months of 2026 more than trebled compared with H1 2025. The firm cited improving market sentiment, regulatory reforms and a stamp duty exemption for newly listed companies as the key drivers of the recovery (Sharecast / EY, 7 July 2026).
However, context matters. Q1 2026 was notably weak: just two UK IPOs completed, as the AI sector sell-off and the Middle East conflict created volatility that caused companies to delay listings. The H1 2026 total was heavily weighted toward Q2, when conditions improved. EY’s own Q1 analysis noted that “much of the anticipated 2026 pipeline had been expected to concentrate on the second half of the year” (EY-Parthenon, April 2026).