Food sector companies - patterns of their capital, economic and organisational changes in relation to listing on the stock exchanges.

The research concentrates on the financial situation of the food sector companies with main focus on the optimal sources of capital for their future development. The analysis of the stock exchange market from the perspective of food sector shows visible u nderrepresentation of the companies from this sector on the regulated markets in many countries. Such a underrepresentation seems surprising and worth exploring in order to find and understand reasons behind it, particularly if it happens in several diffe rent countries. Another interesting fact noticed is the tendency for de-listings of public food companies after a few years of functioning on the stock exchange. This tendency seems to be particularly strong on the Warsaw Stock Exchange where more than h alf of listed food producers have been withdrawn from the regulated market and it is worth to find the justification for it. The research is to answer if there are any intrinsic features of the food sector companies that make them inadaptable to the way the stock exchange is organized, the way it functions that make them more exposed to takeovers and de-listings. I would like to expand the study by a comparison to other stock exchanges and the Oslo Stock Exchange seems an ideal place to serve this purpos e. I would like to include the data from OSE and some non-listed Norwegian food companies for comparison. My initial observation is that everywhere in the world the food sector companies are underrepresented on the stock exchanges. The most important out come of the research should be the indication to the food sector companies 1. how to structure their IPO, 2. how to observe the stock exchange and securities commission regulations and requirements (or if this is one of the research conclusions - how to c hange the appropriate regulations) as well as market expectations, 3. how to manage finances to grow for future shareholders' value creation, 4. how to function smoothly and develop while being the listed company.