The boss of Waterstones James Daunt has teased the idea of floating the book retailer on the London stock exchange. 

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Daunt told the publication that the city could be a good place for Waterstones, but added the US market was better for tech firms.

He said the London stock exchange is an attractive market for retail businesses, highlighting the revival of Marks & Spencer and Next’s consistently great performance since going public on the stock market.

He said: “Waterstones is a solid, predictable retailer with steady growth and dividend payouts. Our business is like Next. We are moderate and predictable.”

Daunt owns Barnes and Nobles in the US and has headed up Waterstones since 2011.

The chain has been owned by private equity firm Elliott Advisors since 2018, but Daunt added: “At some point in the near future it will look to cash in its chips”.

Waterstones reported pre-tax profits of ÂŁ42.9m in the 12 months to April 27 2024, up ÂŁ11.2m from the previous year.

Its revenues also jumped from ÂŁ452.4m to ÂŁ528.3m in the same period. Daunt recently said Waterstones is planning to open dozens of new stores across the UK in 2025.

Topics