If debt primary markets have had a busy crisis, so too have primary markets in equities, though more selectively. With the FTSE 250 enjoying its best run for three years following the March market crash, small/mid-cap companies have been busy raising funds via non-pre-emptive share placings. As the rally progressed, Investec emerged as the leading sole bookrunner in small/mid-cap equity raisings.
Investec, listed in both London and Johannesburg, was founded in South Africa in 1974 and entered the UK market in 1992, when it bought Allied Trust Bank. It has grown steadily since then, acquiring merchant banks and a City stockbroker, and today has gross assets of £50.7bn ($63.7bn).
