As reported by Bloomberg, two Chinese firms are looking to revive a dead funding strategy as China’s financial system continues to exhibit signs of strain, leaving companies to find creative, yet potentially dangerous forms of shoring up investment.
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The two firms are planning public placements, a type of share sale unused in China since 2014. Their attempted reboot follows last year’s tightening of restrictions on private placements, the hitherto most popular method for listed Chinese companies to sell additional shares. Policy makers clamped down on such deals in part because they were worried a flood of new stock would weigh on the $5.5 trillion market.
“If the stock market restores its financing function, it will help companies grow bigger and stronger,” said Lv Changshun, a fund manager at Beijing Dajun Zhimeng Investment Management Co.
Since 2014, additional stock offerings in China have been dominated by private placements. But after the value of private placements soared to a record 1.7 trillion yuan ($245 billion) in 2016, regulators turned off the taps. Rules introduced in February 2017 reduced the size of the discount and limited investors from selling shares even after the lock-up period. Private placements this year have totaled just 285 billion yuan, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
“We would see a sharp pick-up in issuance if regulators improve the relevant rules, such as simplifying the approval process, adjusting the pricing mechanism and enhancing investor protection,” said Fu Lichun, an analyst at Northeast Securities. “Public share placements could provide a chance for companies to turn the corner.”
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