How do UK and US capital markets differ and why do US companies list in London? Inside IPOs, Dual Listings & the New Private Securities Market

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight Podcast, Chris Mayo, Head of Primary Markets for the Americas at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), joins host Tim Gerdeman for a deep dive into one of the world’s most influential capital markets. Mayo explains why London remains the #1 listing venue in Europe, how it has become the leading capital-raising market outside of the U.S., China, and India, and why the U.K. attracts high-quality global issuers including from the US. The discussion highlights major differences between the U.K. and U.S. small- and micro-cap environments, including investor base composition, follow-on capital access, issuer profitability, listing costs, and regulatory reporting. Mayo also walks through the advantages of dual listings—citing the recent Fermi America transaction—and introduces LSEG’s new Private Securities Market, designed to bring transparency and efficiency to secondary transactions for private companies.A timely and insightful conversation for management teams, investors, and advisors evaluating global capital access in 2026 and beyond.