Despite the confinements and epidemic episodes that France and Europe still experienced in 2021, stock market indices continued to display an insolent form.
As a result, investing in the financial markets has become particularly attractive for companies again.
45 have thus taken the plunge in 2021 on the Euronext and Euronext growth indices.
An "
unprecedented
" figure rejoiced Robert Ophèle, president of the AMF (Autorité des marchés financiers) at the microphone of BFM Business.
Read alsoHow the AMF is hunting stock market fraudsters
"
For the first time, the number of these listed companies is no longer decreasing
," he added.
A slight increase however.
Between withdrawals and mergers, an almost as large number went off the listing.
A situation which does not surprise him "
it is a little normal that in period when the prices go up [...] the companies which planned to go on the stock market concretize it
".
Arrival of new investors
Another spectacular increase is the number of individuals who have become investors: “
before the crisis a million French people made at least one share on the stock market per quarter. Since 2020 this figure has risen to 2.5 million and it has been maintained in 2021
”, underlines Robert Ophèle. Not only the number is changing but also the profiles: "
this is a younger audience, less fortunate
", explains the president of the AMF. These newcomers also have the particularity of not necessarily using the usual investment channels such as banks, but of preferring digital tools.
This implies an additional supervisory duty for the AMF.
Indeed, among the multitude of new investment advisers and new trading sites that have appeared in recent times, there are a number of scams hidden.
“
When there are zero fees, it's weird
,” points out Robert Ophèle as an example.
Read alsoSustainable finance suffers from a lack of benchmarks
Finally, the latter returned to the projects awaiting the AMF in 2022. Among them, sustainable finance, "
the biggest challenge
", according to the president.
A transition that will require a lot of transparency work for companies and understanding for suppliers.
A stain "
for the next two years
", forecasts Robert Ophèle.
