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BRITAIN-AUTOMOBILE-STOCK-ASTONMARTIN-IPO
007 carmaker Aston Martin announces stock market float
LONDON, Aug 29, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Aston Martin, the British luxury car brand
favoured by fictional spy James Bond, announced on Wednesday plans to list a
quarter of its shares on the London stock market.
Full details of the initial public offering will be published on September
20, Aston Martin said in a statement, with reports noting that the company
could be valued up to o5.0 billion ($6.4 billion, 5.5 billion euros).
“Today’s announcement represents a key milestone in the history of the
company, which is reporting strong financial results and increased global
demand for its award-winning sports cars,” Aston Martin chief executive Andy
Palmer said in the statement.
The century-old carmaker, based in Gaydon in central England, is controlled
by Italian private equity fund Investindustrial and Kuwaiti investors.
German carmaker Daimler will meanwhile keep its near 5.0-percent stake in
the group, Aston Martin said.
Founded in London in 1913, Aston Martin rose to fame thanks largely to its
DB5 sports car, a favourite of early Bond actor Sean Connery.
BSS/AFP/HR/1320