What you need to know
- Several politicians in the UK are calling for Arm to be listed on the London Stock Exchange if NVIDIA is unable to purchase Arm.
- Reports indicate that NVIDIA's acquisition of Arm is likely to be stopped by regulators.
- It's believed that Arm's backup plan would be to go public, though the company could be listed in New York or London.
NVIDIA's $40 billion acquisition of Arm appears unlikely, according to recent reports. If regulators prevent the purchase, the owners of Arm could instead choose to list the company publicly. Multiple politicians in the UK suggest that if Arm does go public, it should list itself on the London Stock Exchange rather than the New York Stock Exchange (via This is Money).
"Arm is a leading British technology company of national strategic importance and a major local employer," said Anthony Browne, Conservative MP for Cambridge South. "If it is floated on the stock market, it should do so in London rather than New York or elsewhere to ensure its interests and those of its investors are aligned with our national interest."
Damian Green, a Conservative MP for Ashford, also weighed in. "Arm Holdings is a world-beating British company that should stay British. I would very much hope that if it lists anywhere, it does so in London."
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SoftBank, which is based in Japan, purchased Arm in 2016. Before that £24 billion purchase went through, Arm was listed on the London Stock Exchange. If Arm returns to the London Stock Exchange, it would be near the top of the FTSE100 index, which consists of the most valuable UK companies.
Arm's acquistion would have to clear several regulatory hurdles to go through. The U.S. FTC sued to prevent the deal, and China's government further complicated things. The purchase would also to get through UK and European Union regulators.
While some UK politicians would prefer to see Arm listed in London, Softbank may choose the New York Stock Exchange instead. For the time being, this is all speculation until it's determined if NVIDIA is able to acquire Arm.
