The Czech industrial and defence holding Czechoslovak Group (CSG), owned by entrepreneur Michal Strnad, made its stock market debut on Euronext Amsterdam on Friday, 23 January. The company’s shares surged on the first day of trading, lifting CSG above energy giant ČEZ in terms of market capitalisation and making it the most valuable company in the Czech Republic.

CSG’s strong debut positions it among Europe’s leading publicly listed industrial groups. The company said the initial public offering reflects years of consistent development and confirms its financial stability, international credibility, and ability to meet strict requirements for transparency, reporting, and corporate governance.

On its first trading day, CSG shares climbed 31.4 percent to €32.85, equivalent to around 800 Czech koruna. As a result, the group overtook ČEZ in market value. Bloomberg reported that the IPO also elevated Strnad to the position of the world’s wealthiest defence entrepreneur and the third richest person under the age of 40 globally.

Strnad described the listing as a key milestone in CSG’s history. According to him, access to capital markets reinforces the group’s commitment to high governance standards while enhancing its capacity to invest in innovation, expand internationally, and strengthen its role as a long-term supplier of defence and industrial solutions to NATO members and government partners worldwide.

Euronext said CSG raised €3.8 billion (CZK 92.2 billion) by selling 15.2 percent of its shares. Analysts noted that this represents the largest initial public offering by a defence company to date. Based on the final issue price of €25 per share, CSG’s valuation reached approximately €25 billion (CZK 607 billion).

Source: PragueDaily

Prepared by the team of foreign offices CzechTrade Osaka and Tokyo