London fights for 15bn Unilever ice-cream float [Video]

The stock market has a fight on its hands to win a £15bn listing for Unilever’s ice-cream business, writes Emily Hawkins.

The consumer goods giant yesterday announced a radical shake-up that will see it spin off the unit in a move that will cost 7,500 jobs worldwide.

The demerger of household names like Ben & Jerry’s, Wall’s and Magnum was cheered by investors who had been waiting to see what boss Hein Schumacher would do to revive Britain’s fourth largest company.

But it has also fired the starting gun on where the business – which last year had sales of £7bn – might choose to float.

London would be a natural home for the standalone company as it is where Unilever is listed and it is the birthplace of Wall’s, which started in an Acton factory in 1922.

But New York or Amsterdam could be chosen instead.

Schumacher said he was “open to options” …