HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – Pavilion REIT, a real estate investment trust which will invest in one of Kuala Lumpur’s major shopping malls, is reportedly about to launch an IPO and thus become the latest addition to Malaysia’s REIT (M-REIT) success story. read
Revenue generated by investment banks from underwriting Chinese IPOs globally was US$650 million in the first three months of this year, The Wall Street Journal reported. With all due respect to the Journal, that is probably a low-ball estimate, not counting all the ways banks profit from new listings. read
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – Singapore-listed Noble Group Ltd. likes to point out that its net book value has grown at a compound annual rate of 27% since its listing in 1997. However, it is currently trading on a price-to-book multiple of only 1.47x and a forward P/E below 10x, well below comparables. The proposed listing of its sizable and profitable agricultural business in Singapore, on which JPMorgan is advising, should be accretive for the group and result in a re-rating. read
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – As one of Asia’s richest nations, the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam relies on a significant expatriate population for the production of offshore oil. That, in turn, has fuelled the growth of its major mobile telecommunications provider, Data Stream Technologies Communications (DST). But with penetration rates near saturation, DST needs to re-invent itself and offer value-added products and services besides roaming. With equity markets in turmoil, it could consider issuing an Islamic going-public convertible bond prior to a listing in Kuala Lumpur – or in Singapore, perhaps through a business trust. read
I will be giving a presentation on listing opportunities for European companies at the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 3 November. read
For readers in Hong Kong, and in particular for those in need of CPT hours for regulatory and licensing purposes, do join me for a presentation on IPOs – and a book signing session – at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) on 17 November. read
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – A 10-year analysis using data supplied by Dealogic shows the number of IPOs globally has remained relatively constant, as well as the relative proportion of IPOs conducted in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and in Hong Kong in particular. However, there has been a clear shift in terms of the bigger deals, a much larger share of which now commonly takes place in the Far East.
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – The Hong Kong Jockey Club provides sporting entertainment to the public through horse racing, football betting and the Mark Six lottery. It’s also one of the city’s largest taxpayers and a major non-government benefactor, donating more than US$125 million a year to charitable and community projects. With betting revenue fleeing to Macau’s casinos, and no other obvious sources of income on the horizon, a flotation of the lottery – a marginal business for the Club – through a business trust could provide significant additional resources to its operations, and non-profit activities, without materially altering its unusual corporate structure.
