Hargreaves Lansdown Offers Fee-Free Access to SpaceX IPO

Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) has announced an exclusive arrangement to offer UK retail clients fee-free access to the initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX, the aerospace company led by Elon Musk. The UK's largest investment platform, which oversees more than £200bn in assets, will allow its roughly two million customers to apply for shares from 4 June until the deadline at 11.59pm on 10 June 2026.

The listing is set to take place on the NASDAQ exchange, making this a rare opportunity for British retail investors to participate in a high-profile overseas flotation. HL is waiving all dealing and foreign exchange charges for the IPO, positioning itself as the primary gateway for international public listings in the UK.

According to HL, 35,000 investors have already registered for IPO alerts since news of the offering emerged in April. The platform noted that it has participated in 100% of retail IPOs on the London Stock Exchange main market and AIM over the past year, capturing an average of 49% of total retail allocations. Over the last 18 months, HL clients have deployed more than £1bn across primary market transactions.

Simon Belsham, chief client officer at Hargreaves Lansdown, acknowledged the speculative nature of the investment but emphasised the firm's commitment to expanding retail access. “While we recognise this IPO might not be right for everyone, it’s an exciting moment for many of our clients,” Belsham said. He added that the platform expects the listing to attract a new demographic of retail stock pickers and plans to provide educational resources to help them build well-diversified portfolios.

Investors will be able to hold the NASDAQ-listed shares across a range of HL accounts, including Stocks and Shares Isas, Lifetime Isas, Junior Isas, SIPPs, Junior SIPPs, SIPP Drawdown, and standard Fund and Share accounts. To cope with anticipated demand, HL is extending its Bristol-based helpdesk operating hours ahead of the mid-week deadline.