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Thanks for downloading this episode of the Bottom Line podcast with some extra material we couldn't fit into the radio version.

Before we move on, I do just want to alert you to the fact that in a couple of weeks at the end of this series,

we're going to be gathering a panel of great business brains, including

a former Dragon's Den investor, to answer some of your business questions. We've not done this

before. We'd like to give it a go, but we do need the questions. If you'd like to send a business

question in, our email is bottom line at BBC.co.uk.

Anyway, back to this week's show and we are going to talk about the London Stock Exchange today.

It dates back hundreds of years. It's one of the world's oldest.

It was the kind of institution one might have been taught about at school, a place where companies

would go to raise money by selling their

shares and where the shares would then be traded. But we're going to ask a question today that

has honestly been much discussed in business circles in the last couple of years. Why are companies,

even British companies, not choosing to list their shares there?

It was 18 companies that chose to list in London last year, which is way down, way down on previous years.

And you've seen some prestige business names listed in London, take their shares to New York,

like travel firm Tuey and the parent of Paddy Power, Flutter.

There are lots of theories as to what is happening and there are those who think the drought may be coming to an end this year

and they're placing a lot of hope on the potential arrival of the Chinese fast fashion giant Sheehan.

It's headquartered in Singapore. It's valued by some at 50 billion pound, which

would be a big Philip to the London market. But let us look at the fate of the exchange. With me

today first is Julia Hoggart, who is chief executive of the London Stock Exchange. And Julia,

...