The UK's Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on plans for a new private stock market system.Under the new platform – the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System - investors will be able to take more stakes in private companies and diversify their portfolios.If successful, it could improve access to capital for firms that chose to stay private.
It could also lead to greater confidence to invest in these companies and 'lead to more funding to help them to grow and scale up', the FCA said.Simon Walls, interim executive director of markets at the FCA, said the authority wanted to work with the industry and ensure the 'right building blocks' were in place to support investment in growing companies.