Ant’s IPO fiasco may clip its wings, dent its value
China’s surprise suspension of Ant Group’s record $37 billion listing is likely to delay rather than destroy its chances of a stock market debut though the financial technology giant’s valuation and growth prospects are set to take a hit.
The last-minute ambush by China’s regulators was seen by analysts and investors as an attempt to cut Ant founder Jack Ma and his financial services empire down to size but they expected it to eventually list in Hong Kong and Shanghai as planned. “Ant’s business is likely to be restricted by new financial regulations. As a result, the relaunched IPO price will most likely be lowered,” said Andrew Collier, managing director of Orient Capital Research.
Ant has been trying to present itself as a technology firm rather than a financial giant and its valuation up until now has benefited from its tech focus.
But Chinese regulators have become uncomfortable with parts of its sprawling empire— namely its lucrative online lending business which contributed almost 40% of its overall revenue in the first half of the year.
Under draft rules published on Monday, online lenders in China would have to stump up more of their own capital for loans, which is expected to hurt Ant’s business model. Ant’s co-lending subsidiaries Huabei and Jiebei would also no longer be allowed to sell wealth management products, analysts said.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said on Wednesday that recent regulatory changes could have a “major impact” on Ant’s business structure and profit model.
It said suspending the IPO was a responsible move both for investors and markets.
The suspension was seen as a stunning rebuke for billionaire Ma, a former English teacher who built e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and its affiliate Ant into two of China’s biggest success stories.
Ma’s net worth was set to almost double following the IPO to $59 billion, based on the valuation of Ant shares. Instead, his estimated wealth fell $3 billion after shares in Alibaba, in which he has a stake of 4.8%. The Shanghai stock exchange’s decision on Tuesday to suspend the IPO followed a meeting between China’s financial regulators and Ant executives, including Ma, who were told the company’s online lending business would face tighter scrutiny, sources told Reuters.
The exact nature of the regulators’ concerns and just how long a suspension might last is not known. The Shanghai bourse described the meeting as a material event that could cause Ant to be disqualified from listing.
Ant said in a filing on Wednesday it would maintain close communication with regulatory authorities and the Hong Kong and Shanghai bourses on the progress of its IPO and listing and would disclose information in a timely manner.
Ma’s public criticism last month of financial regulations as stifling innovation had put him on a collision course with regulators in China, analysts said.