(BFM Stock Exchange) – The European stock market operator has announced several measures to promote the financing of companies in the defense sector.

In its own way, Euronext plays its score in the European effort aimed at developing and strengthening the military industry. The pan -European stock market operator announced on Tuesday May 6 a rosary of measures to support the financing of defense, security and energy companies.

“Our role as a citizen business is to organize this request for investors who wish to invest in security and defense companies that will participate in this reset of Europe,” said Stéphane Boujnah, Chairman of the Euronext Management Board on BFM Business, on Tuesday, May 6.

Let us recall that European defense groups on the stock market met on the front of the stage with the renewed geopolitical tensions. In Europe, this sector was clearly the big winner at the start of the year.

On the whole of 2025*, Rheinmetall, which notably provides armored vehicles to the German army, takes 180% and Hensoldt, specialist in sensors and military optronics, advances 116% in Frankfurt. Renk, who produces gearboxes and transmission systems for military vehicles and ships of the Marines, is 215%.

On the Paris Stock Exchange, Thales records the strongest increase in CAC 40 with an 80 % leap when Dassault Aviation climbs by 62 %. Small and medium capitalizations are not to be outdone. EXAIL Technologies, which designs underwater drones to detect mines, earns almost 200%.

Optronics specialist for exose military applications is also one of those groups that have taken advantage of this big spotlight. Its action has taken 85% since the start of the year, and even joined the SBF 120 at the end of March, the second index in Paris, less than a year after its IPO in June 2024.

“Investors are increasingly eager to increase their exposure to increasing opportunities related to aerospace, defense, energy and strategic infrastructure in Europe,” said Stéphane Boujnah, Chairman and CEO of Euronext.

A special training camp

To bring out on the stock market for new defense nuggets like exosens, Euronext will, in its arsenal of measures to support the sector, rely on the “Ipoready” program. Launched in 2015, this preparatory training program for the IPO (IPO) aims to demystify this important step in the life of a company.

Euronext therefore plans to launch its “defense” version of this Ipoready program in the third quarter, with the support of the European Union and the European Investment Bank.

“The defense sector in Europe is characterized by several unusual things. We have found that there are very few companies listed on the stock market in Europe and that these companies are significant. And those that are not listed are medium -sized,” said Stéphane Boujnah.

“With this iPoready program, these companies will go to growth, reforming their governance to make it more effective as well as their communication with investors. They will also be able to specify their strategy, structure their assessment more efficiently. In other words, these companies will prepare their transformation to the IPO,” said Euronext manager.

Some companies would be well engaged in this path to the IPO. The Franco-German group KNDS would reflect on entering the stock market, Reuters reported in late February. KNDS would have contacted advisers to target a potential IPO at the end of 2025 or in 2026.

The group would also have a preference for the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, a stock market place where several well -established players are already listed such as Rheinmetall, or Hensoldt.

“Whether or not they go to the IPO path is a secondary objective. The most important thing is that these companies are transformed in contact with other European companies,” also said Stéphane Boujnah.

Three thematic clues

In addition to this support towards the IPO, Euronext completes its range of measures with a strengthening of its family of indices. The group will thus create three thematic indices, a decision which is part of the “full set of initiatives related to energy, security and geostrategy […] To strengthen European strategic autonomy “.

The Euronext European Energy Security Index will be dedicated to companies in the energy sector, the Euronext European Aerospace & Defense Index will concentrate companies in the defense and aerospace sectors, and finally, the Euronext European Strategic Autonomy Index will focus on companies that “promote strategic independence in critical sectors”.

The European operator has also announced an update of its methodologies to build its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) indices, which will be deployed during the review of the clues in June.

Euronext said that he would follow the “new guidelines for the European Financial Markets Authority (ESMA)”, and that these new eligibility criteria include “the defense sector, for which exclusions are strictly limited to armament activities prohibited by international treaties”.

Euronext also plans to launch by the end of 2025, “a European growth center for aerospace and defense”, to facilitate the rise in the production of these companies, and give them access “to a wide range of financial resources”.

The operator also unveiled a compartment dedicated to European defense obligations. “Thanks to this segment, all investors can easily access the European defense obligations listed on Euronext,” explains the stock market operator.

According to Bercy and the Ministry of Armed Forces, the additional need for equity of French companies in the Defense sector is indeed estimated at more than five billion euros in the coming years compared to the current level.

*Variations stopped Friday, May 9 in the afternoon