Top IPOs of All Time

Have you ever wondered what the biggest IPOs in history are? What type of companies are able to attract investors’ attention and which sectors do they belong in? When standing on the shoulders of a giant, we may have a better perspective of what we see in the world. Similarly, investing in IPOs has that effect. As an investor in Malaysia, IPOs are a step towards unveiling the great view of the outside world and its top companies.

Let’s take a look at some of these giants:

No.	Company Name	IPO Date	Capital Raised	Industry
1	Saudi Aramco	5-Dec-19	$25.6 million	Energy
2	Alibaba	18-Sep-14	$21.8 million	Technology
3	SoftBank	10-Dec-18	$21.3 billion	Communication services
4	NTT Mobile Communication Network	22-Oct-98	$18.1 billion	Communication services
5	Visa	18-Mar-08	$17.4 billion	Financial services, technology
6	AIA Group	21-Oct-10	$17.8 billion	Financial services
7	Enel SpA	1-Nov-99	$16.4 billion	Utilities
8	Meta (formerly Facebook)	17-May-12	$16 billion	Technology
9	General Motors	17-Nov-10	$15.8 billion	Consumer discretionary
10	ICBC	20-Oct-06	$14 billion	Financial services

Why should HK be your Top Choice?

In Hong Kong, there are various IPOs that we are familiar with, including the following tech giants:

Ant Group (2020) - raised $34.5 billion (also listed in Shanghai)

Ant Group is a Chinese fintech company that operates Alipay, one of the world's largest mobile payment and lifestyle platforms. It was founded in 2014 as a subsidiary of Alibaba Group and spun off as an independent company in 2018.

In 2020, Ant Group was set to launch dual IPOs in Hong Kong and Shanghai, but both were suspended at the last minute due to regulatory concerns. The company is currently working to address these concerns and is aiming to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market and the Hong Kong Exchange in the future. The IPO is expected to be one of the largest ever, with early estimates suggesting it could raise up to $35 billion.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (2019) - raised $12.9 billion (also listed in New York)

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese multinational technology company founded in 1999 by Jack Ma and 17 others. The company's primary focus is on e-commerce and digital payments. Its platforms include Taobao, one of the world's largest online marketplaces, Tmall, an online retail platform, and Alipay, a digital payment platform.

In 2014, Alibaba launched an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $25 billion - the largest IPO in history at the time. Since then, the company's shares have continued to perform well, and it has become one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Tencent Holdings Limited (2018) - raised $5.4 billion

Tencent Holdings Limited is a Chinese multinational conglomerate that operates in a variety of areas, including social media, digital advertising, video gaming, cloud services and more. The company is known for its products, including the popular social media platform WeChat and the video game Honor of Kings.

In 2018, Tencent raised $5.4 billion through an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The IPO was one of the largest in Hong Kong's history and helped to solidify Tencent's position as one of the most valuable companies in the world. Since then, the company's shares have continued to perform well, and it has expanded its operations into new areas, such as cloud computing and financial services.

Xiaomi Corporation (2018) - raised $4.7 billion

Xiaomi Corporation is a Chinese electronics company that was founded in 2010 by entrepreneur Lei Jun. The company's products include smartphones, laptops, home appliances and other consumer electronics.

In 2018, Xiaomi launched an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising $4.7 billion - one of the largest in Hong Kong that year. Since then, the company has continued to expand its operations and has launched new products in areas such as wearable devices, smart home technology and more.

JD.com (2020) - raised $4.5 billion

JD.com, also known as Jingdong, is one of the largest e-commerce companies in China. It was founded in 1998 by Liu Qiangdong and started as a physical electronics store. Today, the company operates an online marketplace that offers a wide range of products, including electronics, apparel and household goods.

In 2018, JD.com launched an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising $4.5 billion. The IPO was one of the biggest in Hong Kong at the time and made a name for JD.com in the Chinese e-commerce industry.

HK IPO From Present to Future

In today's ever-changing global economic and political landscape, the future of Hong Kong IPOs is difficult to predict with certainty. However, many experts view Hong Kong as a gateway to the vast and rapidly growing Chinese market, which makes it an attractive avenue for many companies looking to go public.

In recent years, Hong Kong has been ranked first globally in IPO funds raised, beating New York and Shanghai. In addition, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's new rules and initiatives, such as allowing dual-class shares and the launch of the new secondary stock exchange “HKEX Stock Connect”, have helped boost market liquidity and attract more high-tech firms to choose Hong Kong as their listing destination.

IPOs in the HK market need to embrace the ever-changing world, along with enhanced social responsibilities. “Hong Kong’s IPO market used to be dominated by the TMT (technology, media and telecom) sector. The future is likely to be more about innovative companies in the industrial and hardware sector that can provide climate solutions,” says an expert at KPMG.

Overall, the Hong Kong IPO market is expected to continue to play a vital role in the global IPO market, especially for companies looking to access capital and expand their businesses in Asia. With that said, the future of IPOs in Hong Kong looks to be more dynamic and diverse than ever.

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