Madame Tussauds and London Eye owner could float

Merlin Entertainments, which owns the London Eye, Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds, could float at the end of this year.

An IPO would give the company an estimated £3bn valuation, which would see it entering the FTSE100 if it lists in London.

The theme park and entertainments operator is releasing its results on Wednesday, and strong growth is expected following healthy profit and turnover increases over the past year.

Merlin Entertainments is majority owned by private equity company Blackstone, while CVC Capital also holds a stake. The London Eye-owner was lining up an IPO in 2010 but ditched plans because of market volatility.

Merlin has expanded overseas recently, opening theme parks in the US and Asia. It also owns Sea Life, Thorpe Park, Legoland and Chessington World of Adventures, among other attractions.