Hey music lovers! Universal Music Group (UMG), the top player in the music world, is putting its plans to crash the US stock market party on hold. Yep, you read it right! They're hitting pause on their big financial move across the pond.
Why, you ask? Well, UMG spilled the beans in their latest earnings release. The market's been a bit of a rollercoaster, and they figure now’s not the time to strut onto the US stock exchanges. But don’t rule it out forever! They might change their mind if the financial seas calm down.
What makes this even juicier is that only a few months ago, their big-money backer Bill Ackman was all in for the move! Ackman, the guy calling the shots at Pershing Square Capital Management which scooped up 10% of UMG in 2021, was hyped about a US listing. He figured it would make big-money investors swoon — ones who can't buy stocks that aren’t already American-made — and maybe even join some major league US indices.
UMG was on track for a grand entrance, even slipping a secret draft form to US Securities and Exchange Commission last summer, and Pershing was ready to drop $500 million worth of its stock into eager hands. But, with market waves tossing things around, the plan’s off for now.
UMG, already rocking the charts on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange since 2021, with the ticker UMG, isn’t short on good news. Even without a US listing, they're smashing records, with smiling faces all around, thanks to their cool €3.605 billion in Q4 revenues and a sweet sum of €12.507 billion for 2025 as a whole!
The takeaway? It’s a waiting game, guys. But when the time comes, you know we’ll be back with the real deal! 🤘
Stay tuned, and keep those playlists bumping!
Source: Music Business Worldwide