Survey finds dissatisfaction with exchange listings.

• Author: Marshall, Jeffrey
• Position: CAPITAL MARKETS

Judging from a recent survey of globally listed companies about their listings, they are a restless lot. One in five companies give a low score (less than seven out of 10) for the satisfaction they derive from their primary listing; and as many as two in three cited at least one significant aspect of their listing that that they felt needed improvement, according to the survey by international law firm DLA Piper.

Moreover, nearly one in 12 companies admit to having considered over the past three years whether their business's needs and aspirations may be better served on a different market. DLA Piper's International Capital Markets Survey was conducted among publicly quoted businesses, listed on eight key international stock exchanges and investment banks across the world.

The findings reveal that individual exchanges are perceived by listed companies to have their own particular strengths and weaknesses. Not surprisingly, "access to capital and institutions" receives the highest ranking in the U.S. (both by New York Stock Exchange- and Nasdaqlisted companies), as well as those on the main London Stock Market. However, for Euronext, it is "company profile" that generates the highest rating. At the opposite end of the...