By Ayomide Otitoju
Czech weapons manufacturer CSG made its debut on the Amsterdam stock exchange Friday, raising €3.8 billion ($4.6 billion) in what is now the world’s largest initial public offering (IPO) in the defence sector. The flotation values the company, a major supplier of ammunition and weapons to NATO countries and Ukraine, at €25 billion.
The Amsterdam exchange described the IPO as “the world’s largest defence IPO ever recorded, both in terms of amount raised and market capitalisation.”
According to CSG’s prospectus, the company is Europe’s second-largest producer of medium- and large-calibre ammunition and the world’s largest producer of small-calibre ammunition by sales. Nearly 70 percent of its revenue comes from NATO countries, positioning CSG to benefit from increased alliance spending on weapons and ammunition in response to threats from Russia.
CSG operates in over 70 countries, employing 14,000 people. Founded in the Czech Republic, the firm also maintains factories in India, Italy, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
CSG Chairman Michal Strnad called the IPO a “historic milestone,” highlighting the company’s blend of Czech industrial heritage and global manufacturing reach.
