Wise Completes Move of Primary Listing to the US with Nasdaq Debut
Wise, the cross-border payments group, has completed the move of its primary listing to the United States, debuting on Nasdaq on 11 May 2026 under the ticker WSE. The shift marks one of the most prominent transatlantic relistings by a European fintech and underlines the growing pull of US capital markets for high-growth financial technology firms.
Trading on Nasdaq began at 9:30am Eastern Time. Wise retains a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, where its shares continue to trade on the Main Market, so the company remains accessible to UK investors even as its centre of gravity moves west.
Chasing the deepest capital markets
The company has framed the move as a way to accelerate its ambition to become "the network for the world's money". Management argues that a US primary listing brings Wise closer to its largest growth opportunity and improves access to a deeper, more liquid investor base.
"A listing in the US gives us better access to the world's deepest and most liquid capital market," said chief executive Kristo Kaarmann.
Chair David Wells added that the relisting "more closely aligns Wise with the major growth potential for us in the US", which the company describes as the biggest market opportunity for its products globally. As part of the transition, Wise will report its results in US dollars, translating previously reported figures into a US accounting framework.
Strong trading ahead of the debut
The listing change lands against a backdrop of robust growth. For the quarter ending 31 March 2026, Wise reported a 24% increase in underlying income to £435.3 million, ahead of analyst expectations. Cross-border volume for the quarter rose 27% year on year, while active customers grew 22% to 11.3 million.
Across the full financial year, underlying income climbed 18% to £1.61 billion. Cross-border transfer volume reached $243 billion, up 31%, and customer holdings grew 40% to $39 billion. The figures reinforce Wise's position as one of the most scaled independent players in international money movement, handling payments for retail customers and businesses across more than 160 countries.
A wider shift
Wise's relisting reflects a broader trend of European fintech and financial services companies weighing US venues for their primary listings, drawn by larger pools of capital and deeper sector expertise among American investors. For London, the loss of Wise's primary listing is a notable blow, even with the secondary line retained. For the banking and payments industry, it is a clear signal that scale ambitions and capital strategy are increasingly being decided on the other side of the Atlantic.
