Waterstones is close to appointing several investment banks to help oversee a float on the London stock exchange that would value the retailer at approximately £2bn.
The successful high street retailer is close to appointing a team of banks, including Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, to help work on any float, which could come as soon as the second half of the year, according to Sky News.
Morgan Stanley is also reportedly in contention for a joint global co-ordinator role to advise on an initial public offering (IPO).
Sky reported that other investment banks are in the process of being bought onboard to more junior bookrunner roles.
However, the finalisation of a listing for the company that owns Waterstones and US book retailer Barnes & Noble could be delayed due to the ongoing war in Iran and the economic market ructions it has caused.
The war could see Waterstones postpone its float into 2027.
Waterstones has 315 stores in the UK, employing some 4,000 people. In the US, Barnes & Noble also operates a network of hundreds of stores.
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