A big thank you to all of you.
In just over two months, the website has had more than 4,700 page views, from 30 countries and territories and 92 cities. Over 60% of you are returning, regular visitors too – and the numbers are growing every day.
I wish you the very best for the year of the rabbit!
The blog will be updated and back on-line again on 7 February.
Singapore Exchange (the SGX), which labels itself as Asia’s most international listing venue, recorded a five-fold jump in its IPO market capitalization in 2010 as compared with 2009. The SGX welcomed 39 new IPOs in 2010 (29 IPOs in 2009), on the main board and on second board Catalist, raising a total of S$11 billion. It also expanded its market capitalization by S$51 billion (S$10.4 billion in 2009), bringing the total market capitalization of the Exchange to S$902 billion. read
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) – The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH) posts good profitability and has attractive long-term prospects. Yet its limited free float diminishes sell- and buy-side interest and limits trading. The ultimate result is a weak valuation and a constraint on equity capital-raising in the public markets, should the company ever need to do so. Given this, the controlling shareholder, Sir Michael Kadoorie, should consider taking the firm private.
Ipo-book.com takes a short break from equity capital markets reporting to focus today on advisory services for serious wine investors (many of whom actually work in the financial markets area).
Hong Kong has now become the premier hub for fine wine, thanks to the abolition of duty and record prices paid at local auctions, and this is now starting to fuel a whole new market for related advisory services. read
HKEx released on 11 January 2011 details for the second year of its 2010-2012 strategic plan. This includes, among other things, plans to allow issuers from more countries to list in Hong Kong. India and South Africa are specifically mentioned. read
For years, depositary banks such as The Bank of New York Mellon, Citi, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank or HSBC have tried to keep secret details of the subsidies they pay to issuers to entice them to sign up for sponsored ADR programmes. Disclosure rules introduced by the SEC in 2009 have now revealed details of such payments for the first time. read
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker) -Bursa Malaysia’s new rules are hardly game changing, but should be seen against the background of other positive developments in Malaysia’s capital markets.
HONG KONG (Dow Jones Investment Banker)–Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s retail division, one part of a sprawling conglomerate, is itself a mix of heterogeneous businesses. The best way to maximize its value would be to recognize that diversity with a partial float of its most attractive sub-segment, the Watsons health, beauty and pharmacy chain in Hong Kong and in the rest of Asia.
