Huitongda Prices Hong Kong IPO at Bottom of Range
Huitongda Prices Hong Kong IPO at Bottom of Range
(Bloomberg) -- Huitongda Network Co., a Chinese e-commerce platform backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., has raised about $284 million after pricing its Hong Kong initial public offering at the bottom of its marketed range, according to people familiar with the matter.
The company, which helps retailers in rural parts of the country to sell goods online, offered 51.6 million new shares at HK$43 ($5.51) apiece, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Huitongda had marketed the shares at HK$43 to HK$48 each.
The pricing was first reported by IFR. An external representative for Huitongda didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huitongda had been considering an IPO that could raise as much as $1 billion as soon as last year, Bloomberg News reported. After filing in June, the company weighed putting its plans on hold amid choppy markets and China’s regulatory crackdown on IPOs, people familiar with the matter said at the time.
The listing comes as a global IPO slump leaves no market untouched, including Hong Kong. With just three listings raising just $726 million in the first month of the calendar, it was the quietest start to a year since 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. China’s clampdown on overseas listings, rocky markets and rate hikes all contributed to the gloom.
Nanjing-based Huitongda assists retailers and wholesalers to manage their e-commerce, and procures everything from household appliances to auto parts to liquor for sale on its HTD Mall website, according to a preliminary prospectus. Founded in late 2010, it has more than 57,000 member stores in its network covering 21 provinces and over 20,000 towns and villages across China.
A subsidiary of Alibaba bought 4.5 billion yuan ($708 million) worth of shares in the company in 2018, including 2.5 billion yuan worth of new shares, the prospectus shows. Alibaba will have about a 17% stake in Huitongda after the offering.
Huitongda brought in six cornerstone investors to the IPO, who agreed to subscribe to about $150 million in shares, according to the prospectus. They include TV maker Skyworth Group and an indirectly owned subsidiary of AI firm SenseTime Group Inc., which made its Hong Kong debut in December.
China International Capital Corp., China Renaissance Holdings Ltd. and Citigroup Inc. are joint sponsors of the offering. The stock is expected to start trading on Feb. 18.
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