By Scott Murdoch
(Reuters) -China’s Giant Biogene Holding Co Ltd launched on Tuesday an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong to raise up to $80 million, a term sheet showed, sharply lower than its original target of $500 million amid a major sell-off in equity markets.
The Xian-based company, which specialises in medicinal skin care treatment, is selling 22.6 million shares in an indicative price range of between HK$24.30 and HK$27.70 per share, according to the term sheet seen by Reuters.
In that range, Giant Biogene will raise between $70 million and $80 million, the term sheet showed.
The company previously aimed to raise up to $500 million from the Hong Kong market debut, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The sources could not be named as the information is not public.
Giant Biogene did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The IPO attempt comes after Hong Kong stocks slid to 13-year lows on Monday as global investors dumped Chinese assets because Xi Jinping’s new leadership team raised fears economic growth will be sacrificed for ideology-driven policies.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 0.87% on Tuesday, but remains at the lowest levels since April 2009.
Giant Biogene reduced the number of shares on sale as well as the targeted valuation of the firm after briefings with investors over the past week during a fresh bout of market volatility, according to the sources.
The deal values Giant Biogene at up to $3.5 billion at the top of the price range. The company had initially hoped for an IPO valuation that was 30% higher, they added.
The IPO valuation is about 10% higher than Giant Biogene’s last funding round in December when it raised about $630 million from investors including private equity firm Hillhouse Capital Group, the two sources said.
Giant Biogene’s IPO application was due to expire on Nov. 4, meaning the company would have to refile its documents with updated financials if it did not proceed with the deal now, the sources said.
The IPO book-building closes on Friday and the company is due to be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Nov. 4.
(Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Jacqueline Wong and Jamie Freed)
