European retail investors are among those jockeying for a piece of the hotly anticipated SpaceX initial public offering, but some observers warn the deal could prove a bumpy ride for those without the resources that institutional investors have behind them. SpaceX is considering allocating as much as 30% of the deal to individual investors - an unusually large retail tranche - with offerings planned in the UK, Germany, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
In Britain, eight online investing platforms have begun inviting UK customers to apply for shares in the $75 billion raise, seen by some as the most significant retail offering in the country since the flotation of then state-owned Royal Mail in 2013, and a chance to re-energise a lacklustre investing culture.
