Aston Martin, the iconic luxury car manufacturer which was made famous by fictional spy James Bond, has said it is considering a float on the public markets.
Any final decision on a float would be down to Aston Martin's Italian private equity owner Investindustrial, which could choose to sell the company to a private buyer if a willing (and deep-pocketed) party came forward.
London would be the likely venue for such a listing, City A.M. understands, though no firm decisions have yet been made.
Read more: Aston Martin gears up to unveil £600m investment drive in China
"As part of our ongoing development strategy, we continue to consider a range of strategic options for the future of the group, including the potential for an IPO [initial public offering]," said Aston Martin's chief financial officer Mark Wilson, as the company released results today.
The 2018 results
Under Investindustrial's oversight, Aston Martin revved up profit by a quarter of a billion pounds year-on-year to £87m – putting the once-struggling British company firmly back in the black.
Read more: Aston Martin just had its best year in a decade
Meanwhile, demand for the new DB11 produced the highest unit sales in nine years. Revenues hit an all-time high of £876m, up 48 per cent year-on-year, as the fourth quarter of 2017 saw the strongest performance in the company's history.
Investindustrial completed a similar turnaround operation with Italian motorbike brand Ducati, which it sold in 2012 to Audi for around £80m.
Read more:Aston Martin owner Investindustrial grabs Chelsea-based luxury furniture retailer Oka
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