IPOs and placings
Information for investors seeking to access one-off Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and placings
Investing in IPOs and placings
Fidelity offers a wide choice of funds, ETFs, and shares in individual companies. In contrast, the IPO and placings market has historically tended be less accessible to the general public, favouring instead larger investors. Currently, Fidelity does not offer an IPO or placings service, though investments from these events can be transferred to our Investment Account.
PrimaryBid is a specialist in the IPO and placings market and is one of a new style of company bringing these opportunities to the wider public. If you have a Fidelity Investment Account then you can potentially participate in these opportunities and, if successful, have those assets automatically transferred to your Fidelity account. This is easy to do by simply providing your Fidelity account number when you sign up with PrimaryBid.
Important Information: PrimaryBid is not a Fidelity group company and is not being recommended or endorsed by Fidelity. Customers seeking to use PrimaryBid’s services should satisfy themselves that they wish to take up those services and understand they are wholly separate to Fidelity’s services. Another Fidelity International company, Fidelity Strategic Ventures, is a minority shareholder in PrimaryBid. No payments or benefits are exchanged between any Fidelity company or PrimaryBid. Assets from an IPO/Placing can only be transferred to a Fidelity Investment Account (not an ISA or SIPP). Some assets from an IPO/Placing may not be able to be transferred to a Fidelity Investment Account.
Choosing Fidelity to hold your shares
No service fees on the shares in your Investment Account
Shares from successful allocations will be held in an Investment Account so you don't pay a service fee on them. Dealing fees will apply*.
All your investments in one place
Check in and manage your shares with the same login as you use for your Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP.
*A dealing fee applies when you sell shares held in an Investment Account, and our service fee will be calculated based on the value of funds held in your Investment Account, plus all investments held in other accounts. Read more about our fees in Doing Business with Fidelity.
How it works
Sign up with PrimaryBid
You can open a PrimaryBid account on their website or by downloading their app to your phone or tablet. When asked for a broker, simply select Fidelity and enter your Investment Account number. And be sure to familiarise yourself with PrimaryBid's terms and conditions on their website.
Visit PrimaryBidSelect Fidelity as your broker
You'll need to have your Fidelity Investment Account number to hand for this - though you can always add these details later if you prefer.
Explore our Investment AccountReceive notifications of new offers
Once you're signed up with PrimaryBid you'll get notifications of new IPOs and placings as soon as they go live.
Subscribe to an offer
You can subscribe to an offer on PrimaryBid with your debit card (note that you cannot use cash in your Investment Account for this). If you're successful, then as soon as your shares are settled they will be transferred to your Fidelity Investment Account.
What happens next?
Once you’ve taken part in an event, if you are successful in being allocated shares then they’ll be transferred to your Fidelity Investment Account within a few days. Note that shares from some events might take slightly longer than others to arrive in your Fidelity Investment Account.
Once the shares have been settled, you will see them in your Fidelity account summary when you log in at fidelity.co.uk.
If you’re not successful, then PrimaryBid will refund any money you have paid them to your bank account.
Some shares cannot be held in a Fidelity Investment Account. In this case PrimaryBid will contact you to outline your options.
Note that PrimaryBid also supports IPOs and placings in investment trusts. If you successfully subscribe to one of these events, then the shares will be transferred to your Fidelity account as normal. Some investment trusts may need to pass Fidelity's due diligence before you can buy extra shares for your investment account after the initial offering.
