Market Chatter: Airtel Africa Weighs Smaller London IPO for Airtel Money Unit

12:40 AM EDT, 09/18/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Airtel Africa's (AAF.L) mobile payments arm, Airtel Money, is considering raising at least $800 million in its initial public offering in London, below its previously targeted deal size of $1.5 billion to $2 billion, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Following feedback from investors, the money transfer and payments company also lowered its valuation target to between $8 billion and $9 billion from $10 billion, according to the report. Airtel Africa could file the IPO as early as next week and is targeting an October debut on the London Stock Exchange, the report added. Airtel Money and Airtel Africa did not immediately respond to a request for comment from MT Newswires. (Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)