Shawbrook Bank Eyes £2B IPO to Boost UK Listings
Shawbrook, a UK-based bank specialising in commercial, real estate, and retail lending, is considering an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the London Stock Market. The bank aims to raise its profile and potentially open the floodgates for new listings in the UK.
Founded to serve underserved sectors of the UK economy, Shawbrook has grown rapidly. Its loan book has expanded from £1.4 billion in 2013 to a projected £17 billion by June 2025. The bank has invested heavily in technology, spending over £260 million since 2017, transforming into a digitally enabled institution with scalable operations and strong cost efficiencies.
Shawbrook serves a total addressable market of £296 billion across its lending segments, including mortgages for professional landlords, SME finance, and specialist motor lending. With an IPO, Shawbrook aims to almost double its loan book to £30 billion by 2030, with annual profit growth in the mid-to-high teens and adjusted returns on tangible equity in the high teens.
The bank has a proven track record of growth through mergers and acquisitions, completing 24 transactions since 2011, including its most recent acquisition of specialist SME lender ThinCats in September 2025. Shawbrook's IPO is rumoured to value the company at around £2 billion. The bank plans to publish a registration document and explore an application for its shares to be admitted to the FCA's Official List and trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Market.
Shawbrook's IPO, if successful, could potentially revitalise the London Stock Market's IPO rankings. The market has fallen to 23rd globally, raising only £184 million in the first nine months of 2025, the worst year for listings in over three decades. Shawbrook's entry could signal a return to form for the UK's premier stock market.
