I agree, I disagree, I agree... Illy has been talking about a possible listing for years, with repeated statements from its owners and various acting CEOs (see the EFA News archive), but now comes a categorical denial. "They are unfounded and do not reflect the current state of internal evaluations." This is illycaffè's comment on the rumors published this morning by the newspaper La Stampa that the Trieste-based coffee company is ready for a stock market listing on Wall Street by the end of the year or, at the latest, in the first quarter of 2027.

"As previously communicated, a stock market listing is a strategic option the company has always considered," said CEO Cristina Scocchia . "An IPO is a unique event in a company's history, but its success depends on multiple factors, some of which are beyond the company's control. If and when we decide to embark on this path, we will announce it to the market."

According to rumors, the company is monitoring the most suitable context for its stock market listing with at least three financial advisors: the decision has now been made, reports the newspaper La Stampa, citing financial and legal sources familiar with the matter.

"It's in the nature of things," said Executive Chairman Andrea Illy at the Trento Economics Festival less than a month ago, also recalling the presence of a fund (Rhone Capital) among the shareholders, and therefore the need for an exit strategy, sooner or later.

News of Illycaffè's possible stock market listing (in Italy, at least, so it was believed) has been circulating for some time, even since 2021, shortly after Scocchia took over the management team. A press release at the time mentioned the new CEO's goal of bringing the Trieste-based group to a stock market listing "in consideration of the positive phase of the capital markets and the desire to initiate the listing process" (read EFA News ). The intention was reiterated in May 2022, when the CEO himself expressed the idea of going public "by taking small, decisive steps within the 2022-2026 plan" (read EFA News ) and confirmed a few months later, in October 2022 (read EFA News ).

Then, in August 2025, CEO Scocchia denial arrived. From the stage at the last meeting in Rimini, he had ruled out a listing, at least for 2026, as the market conditions for such a step were lacking. The timing, we recall, seemed ominous, especially in light of the new tariffs that US President Donald Trump had imposed on the EU and Italy. Scocchia confirmed at the time that a listing, ruled out for 2026, remained "an objective. However," he said, "we need to understand when it will be possible, and this depends on external circumstances. To go public, two conditions must be met: the company must be ready, so it needs a track record of results, which we have had over the last three years, but it also needs a favorable macroeconomic and geopolitical context" (read EFA News ).

As for the results, 2025 also confirmed the track record: the brand, in fact, closed 2025 with group revenues of 700 million euros, up 12% at constant exchange rates compared to the previous year, +11% at current exchange rates (read EFA News ).