Loveholidays owner hires Rothschild to plan for London IPO: Sky

Loveholidays owner hires Rothschild to plan for London IPO: Sky

The owner of Loveholidays, the prominent online travel agent (OTA), has engaged Rothschild to guide the company through an initial public offering (IPO) in the London stock market. This move comes amidst a significant decline in IPO activity in the first half of 2025, which saw the lowest proceeds in decades [1][2].

Livingbridge, the private equity firm that has been backing Loveholidays since 2018, has appointed Rothschild to oversee the IPO process. Rothschild will coordinate the appointment of other investment banks to work on the flotation in the coming weeks. The timing of the IPO, which is expected to value the company at over £1 billion, remains undetermined [1][2].

Loveholidays has demonstrated robust financial performance, with pre-tax profits rising by a fifth to £67.6 million on sales of £284 million in the year to October 2024. The company specializes in trips to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, boasting an inventory of 35,000 hotels and 99% of all flights, resulting in 500 billion possible holiday packages [1][2].

The IPO is a significant milestone for Loveholidays, which has been a major beneficiary of the post-pandemic resurgence in travel demand. Alongside OnTheBeach and TUI, Loveholidays ranks among the UK's largest OTAs [1][2].

References:
[1] https://www.mkfm.com/news/business/loveholidays-owner-hires-bankers-to-plot-stock-market-getaway/
[2] https://www.coastfm.co.uk/news/business/loveholidays-owner-hires-bankers-to-plot-stock