Princes Group IPO: how to trade Princes Group shares

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When is the Princes Group IPO date?

The Princes Group IPO date is not set, but the topic has returned to prominence after a major ownership change with a potential listing date of the end of October 2025 (source: The Times). In 2024, Italian food company Newlat Food S.p.A. completed its acquisition of Princes Limited from Mitsubishi Corporation in a deal worth around £700m.

The acquisition has reshaped the initial public offering narrative. Now, with Princes integrated into Newlat and the enlarged group rebranded, investors are looking ahead to whether the new group will pursue a stock market listing to fund growth and consolidate its position in the European FMCG sector.

Current expectations

Newlat’s management has openly discussed using the acquisition of Princes as a platform for expansion. A listing date on the London Stock Exchange is a possibility

Why IPO now?

• Integration milestone: once the post-merger integration of Princes and Newlat is complete, an IPO could crystallise value.
• Capital raising: proceeds could finance further acquisitions in European food and beverage markets.
• Brand profile: Princes remains a household name in the UK, while Newlat is a major player in Italy; a public listing would raise the combined group’s global profile.
• Sector dynamics: consumer staples remain resilient, making the Princes Group IPO attractive during volatile macroeconomic conditions.

What is Princes Group?

Princes is one of the UK’s most recognisable food and drink manufacturers, founded in Liverpool in 1880 as a fish importing business. Over 140 years, it has grown into a household staple brand, with products ranging from canned fish and meat to soft drinks, edible oils, and Italian foods under its Napolina brand.

In 1989, Princes was acquired by Mitsubishi Corporation, under which it expanded further across Europe. In 2024, Mitsubishi sold Princes to Newlat Food, creating the New Princes Group. Today, the combined entity employs nearly 9,000 people and operates across the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Mauritius, and beyond.

Brands and product portfolio

• Princes: canned tuna, salmon, corned beef, fruit, vegetables, and soft drinks.
• Napolina: premium Italian tomatoes, pasta, sauces, and oils.
• Crisp ’n Dry: popular cooking oil.
• Soya and vegetable oils: major supplier of edible oils to UK supermarkets.
• Private label: a top supplier of canned and ambient products for major UK and European retailers.

Global footprint

Princes has production plants in the UK (Liverpool, Long Sutton, Cardiff), Italy, and Poland. It exports to over 100 countries. Combined with Newlat’s dairy, bakery, and baby food operations in Italy and Germany, the new group is one of Europe’s most diversified food businesses.

Key milestones

• 1880 – Princes founded in Liverpool.
• 1989 – Acquired by Mitsubishi.
• 2010s – Expansion of Napolina and private-label contracts.
• 2024 – Acquisition by Newlat Food completed, creating New Princes Group.
• 2026 – Expected IPO window for New Princes Group.

Why it matters

Princes is embedded in the UK food supply chain, supplying branded staples and supermarket own-labels. With Newlat, it now forms a pan-European champion. The Princes Group IPO would give investors rare exposure to a scale FMCG player spanning multiple categories, geographies, and brands.

How does Princes Group make money?

Princes and Newlat together generate €2.8bn in annual revenue from diverse categories.

What might influence the Princes Group stock price?

The Princes Group stock price after IPO will be shaped by macroeconomic conditions, fundamentals, competition, regulation, and sentiment.

Macroeconomic and sector trends

As a consumer staples business, Princes benefits from steady demand. But input costs – fish, tomatoes, edible oils – are volatile. Inflation, energy prices, and transport costs directly affect margins. Currency swings (sterling, euro) are important given the group’s UK-Italian footprint.

Company fundamentals

Investors will look at sales growth, branded vs. private-label mix, margins, and free cash flow. Integration with Newlat will be under scrutiny: synergies in procurement, logistics, and marketing must be realised. Strong Napolina sales in Italy and Princes tuna sales in the UK are positive drivers.

Competition and differentiation

Princes faces rivals in both branded FMCG (Unilever, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz) and private-label suppliers. Its differentiation is scale, breadth, and ability to balance retailer contracts with brand investment. If ESG standards in tuna or tomato sourcing fall short, differentiation could be undermined.

Regulation and governance

Food safety and sustainability regulation is stringent. Brexit has already complicated UK–EU supply chains. Investors will want clear governance as New Princes Group transitions to a listed company, balancing Italian and UK operations.

Valuation scenarios

A bull case, with strong synergies, ESG leadership, and stable margins, could lift valuations higher. A bear case, with integration challenges and margin compression, could push it lower.

Investor sentiment

The IPO’s reception will depend on appetite for European consumer IPOs. London has struggled with high-profile floats, while Milan has seen some momentum. Sentiment toward staples – defensive but lower growth – will influence multiples.

You can keep your finger on the pulse of the markets with expert insight from our in-house analysts. Check out our news and analysis section for more.

How to trade Princes Group shares via CFDs

When the Princes listing date happens, traders will be able to speculate on its shares via contracts for difference (CFDs). CFDs allow you to capture price movements without owning the underlying shares, offering flexibility in volatile IPO markets.

How to get started

• 1. Choose a platformUse a broker like Capital.com to access IPO stocks and fintech names.
• 2. Open an accountComplete ID verification and the suitability assessment to begin trading.
• 3. Fund your accountDeposit capital securely by bank transfer, card, or e-wallet.
• 4. Track IPO detailsWatch the filing documents, price range, and anchor investor demand to gauge sentiment.
• 5. Place your tradeGo long if you expect Princes Group to rally, or short if you anticipate it to fall, and consider applying stop-losses* to manage risk.

.Note: the Princes IPO, like all IPOs, may be volatile, especially in the early days of trading. CFDs let you act on price swings in either direction, but always apply risk management. CFDs are traded on margin, and leverage higher than 1:1 magnifies potential losses and gains. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Learn more about contracts for difference in our CFDs trading guide.

*Standard stop-losses are not guaranteed. Guaranteed stop-losses incur a fee when activated.

Which consumer staples stocks can I trade?

Until the Princes Group launch date, you can consider proxies in food and FMCG:

• Unilever (ULVR) – multinational FMCG giant.
• Nestlé (NESN) – Swiss food group.
• Kraft Heinz (KHC) – US packaged food company.
• Associated British Foods (ABF) – diversified UK food and retail group.
• Tesco (TSCO) – UK supermarket leader, reflecting retailer demand dynamics.

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