Alibaba IPO plan at risk amid massive Hong Kong protests

Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba is weighing a delay to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange due to massive anti-China protests that have shuttered the airport and captivated the world.

The Chinese online retailer had been working toward a September listing on the Hong Kong exchange as recently as last week, two sources told The Post.

But after protests broke out in Hong Kong — shuttering the airport for two days and drawing China’s troops to the border — the company is rethinking those plans, a source said.

Alibaba in June filed to sell shares in Hong Kong without setting a firm date. The offering is expected to be roughly $20 billion.

The Hong Kong listing will let pensions and other investors from the mainland buy shares of one of the country’s most recognizable Chinese companies. The Hongzhou, China-based Alibaba is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange but the Chinese government does not allow its citizens to buy shares of companies listed on a US exchange.

Credit Suisse is the lead underwriter.

The NYSE-listed Alibaba carries a $417 billion market cap and is down more than six percent in the last month.

An Alibaba spokesperson declined comment.

“I think it is an interesting IPO,” considering the ongoing US-China trade war,” a banker close to the offering said.

Alibaba reports earnings on Thursday.

Credit: Source link

The post Alibaba IPO plan at risk amid massive Hong Kong protests appeared first on Fox USA Live.



from WordPress https://ift.tt/2YNLov2

Comments