Infrastructure group NTR said that NCB and Goodbody Stockbrokers will join the company's lead broker, Davy, in trading its shares on an unofficial "grey" market.
The move, which is designed to improve the visibility and transparency in the trading of the shares, will also help attract a wider investor audience to the company.
NTR finance director, Mr Michael Walsh, said the initiative would "help to create a more open market for our stock and greater access for potential investors".
"Furthermore, increased equity research coverage and improved information on share trading activity will provide greater transparency to the market on both the company and the trading of its shares," Mr Walsh said.
As part of the move, the most recent and historic share prices and volume of trade executed through the company's brokers will be published on the website of NTR, www.ntr.ie.
NTR last traded at €13.00 per share, valuing it at €312 million. The stock has traded around four times in the last month.
All three brokers will provide equity research coverage of the company.
In research issued yesterday, Davy put a revised sum-of-the-parts valuation on the company of €17.33 per share, well above the current €13.00 share price.
Goodbody set a 12-month price target of €17.10 for the shares while NCB estimated that the stock had a fair value of €17.62 to €18.54, giving a mid-point of €18.08, nearly 40 per cent above the current share price.
Although NTR, which has interests in roads, waste management, water, renewable energy and broadband, remains a private company, its shares have been traded on an unofficial "grey" market which has been accessible only to Davy's private clients since 1988.
NTR said yesterday's move had no bearing on the company's unquoted status.
Mr Walsh repeated yesterday that an IPO (initial public offering) was not on the immediate horizon for NTR but said the company had indicated to its shareholders that it would aim to facilitate shareholders who want to exit in whole or in part some three years from now.
"The target is to have a liquidity event, the form of which we have made no decision about," Mr Walsh said.
Depending on conditions in the market, it could involve the demerger of a subsidiary, the trade sale of a unit or a refinancing of the company, bringing in fresh capital from outside of the company to buy out existing stakeholders.
