The double edge of Glencore’s cornerstones

The total number of shares subscribed for by cornerstone investors in Glencore’s IPO, which is targeting proceeds of about US$10 billion (excluding a 10% over-allotment option), is expected to represent approximately 31% of the global offer, assuming the overallotment option is not exercised. The US$3.1 billion tranche therefore represents one of the largest cornerstone books by value ever achieved for an IPO. But there are consequences to the practice, which could come back and haunt the issuer as well as other investors in the company. read

RTHK 3 radio interview

I was interviewed on 9 May 2011 on Hong Kong’s RTHK 3 radio in the “Hong Kong Today” early morning show by business news presenter Nick Beacroft, on the subject of the proposed international board of the Shanghai Stock Stock Exchange. read

Hong Kong makes a tough call on PCCW

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – PCCW Ltd.’s hope of spinning off its telecommunications business into Hong Kong’s first listed business trust were shattered when the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong’s listing committee rejected the application. The decision, revealed last week by PCCW, reinforces the SGX’s lock on this type of security, and the temptation for Hong Kong to lure this class of listing away from Singapore must have been intense. But PCCW’s plan raised troubling corporate governance issues.

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Harvesting China’s savings in Shanghai

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – The long-awaited international board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) apparently is inching closer to becoming a reality. But its offerings are likely to be dominated by Chinese companies incorporated offshore, and, if history is any guide, listing there is likely to do little in the long run for truly international businesses.

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Hong Kong Economic Journal article

“IPO: A Global Guide” featured on 2 May 2011 in the “Inner Circle of Finance” weekly column written by hedge fund manager C.K. Edward Chin. An extract of the column mentioning the book, which also included a picture of its front cover, is set out below. read

Golden horde of bankers seeks Mongolia’s riches

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – Mongolia’s top 20 index is up more than 50% in local terms this year, but trading volumes remain diminutive. This could all change with the proposed listing of coal mining behemoth Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi (Erdenes TT), whose name means “five heads” in Mongolian. While lead banks have been appointed, their exact roles are said to remain fluid, and a gaggle of global houses is still competing to find its way into the offering, which will raise Mongolia’s profile on the international stage. Indeed, the fortunes of Mongolian IPOs will continue to rely heavily on international institutional investors.

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EuroWeek article

“IPO: A Global Guide” featured in this week’s edition of EuroWeek magazine, in the “Big Picture” column written by Equity Editor Nick Jacob. The article is reproduced below. read

Hong Kong investors yawn at yuan REIT

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – The first-ever yuan-denominated IPO in Hong Kong – for Hui Xian REIT – priced Tuesday, after having received a rather subdued reception from the public. Reasons include a rather aggressive yield, the offer structure for the transaction and controlling shareholder Li Ka-shing’s reputation for leaving little on the table when pricing deals, as well as uncertainties about aftermarket trading and macro market developments.

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Russian stocks not fit for Hong Kong?

HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his entourage were all smiles when they visited the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong’s trading hall Sunday. But listing Russian companies in Hong Kong still faces technical and regulatory hurdles, as well as in many cases an uphill struggle to convince investors in Asia that Russian stocks have a place in their portfolios.

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Hong Kong Economic Journal article

“IPO: A Global Guide” featured in today’s edition of the Hong Kong Economic Journal, the leading Chinese language business newspaper.

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