Blue-chip takeovers and few IPOs put ASX on track to shrink this year

Three big takeovers could see the Australian sharemarket shrink for the first time in more than two decades and wane in relevance among global exchanges as private capital becomes more attractive to companies.

A string of proposed mega-mergers and takeovers – including Macquarie Asset Management’s $11.6 billion bid for logistics company Qube and a $13.2 billion takeover offer for BlueScope Steel – could mean that the value of shares removed from ASX 200 exceed new capital raised for the first time since 2005, when News Corporation moved its primary listing to New York.

Source: https://www.afr.com/markets/equity-markets/blue-chip-takeovers-and-few-ipos-put-asx-on-track-to-shrink-this-year-20260123-p5nwhi