Business
Alibaba Plans to Boost IPO Price on Strong Demand
Alibaba Plans to Boost IPO Price on Strong Demand
China’s biggest e-commerce company plans to increase the top end of a marketed price range to just below $70, from $66 previously, said one of the people, asking not to be identified discussing private information. The announcement is likely to come later today after the market closes in New York, according to the person.
Alibaba’s decision came even as billionaire founder Jack Ma told prospective investors today at Hong Kong’s Ritz-Carlton hotel he won’t seek too high a valuation, according to two people who attended the meeting. Ma said the company tried to fairly price the November 2007 sale of its business-to-business marketplace Alibaba.com Ltd., whose shares almost tripled on its Hong Kong debut, the people said.
“There was so much demand in the first two days, it’s reasonable to raise the price range slightly,” said Li Muzhi, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Arete Research Service LLP. “The company might want to not be too aggressive on pricing so it can still have some upside after the listing.”
The company is embarking on the second week of its global tour to meet with investors in Asia and Europe as it seeks to convince funds to buy into its offering. Alibaba had already received enough interest for its deal that it plans to stop taking orders for the sale early, people with knowledge of the matter said last week.
Smoked Salmon
Alibaba and its advisers sifted through the orders over the last few days and determined that there was enough demand at the high end of the range that they could raise it, the people said today. Florence Shih, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for Alibaba, declined to comment.
Over a lunch today of smoked salmon, breaded chicken and mango pudding, Ma fielded investor questions on the company’s partnership structure, management philosophy and how it will maintain profit margins amid rising competition, people who attended the meeting said.
Ma is seeking to avoid a repeat of Alibaba.com, which plummeted below its IPO price shortly after listing. He ended up delisting the company in 2012 at its IPO price.
Conservative Valuation
Alibaba aims to be a global company and plans to expand its business in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, Ma told reporters before the investor luncheon. Ma, a 50-year-old former school teacher, is China’s richest person with a net worth of $21.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The company is seeking to list after valuations for technology shares rose to a 4 1/2-year high, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Nasdaq Composite Index (CCMP) climbed to the highest since March 2000 on Sept. 2, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index hit a fresh record three days later and a gauge of Chinese stocks in the U.S. traded near a three-year high.
At the original range, Alibaba’s market value was as high as $162.7 billion, which was conservative relative to peers. At the top end, the company was asking for about 29 times three analysts’ estimates for earnings in the year through March 2015, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Chinese Internet peer Baidu Inc. trades at about 35 times estimates of this year’s earnings, while Tencent Holdings Ltd. trades at 37 times. A valuation of 35 times would imply a price of nearly $80 a share for Alibaba. Amazon.com Inc. fetches closer to 136 times forecast 2014 earnings.
Final Orders
Even at the previous $60 to $66 price range, Alibaba’s IPO could raise as much as $24.3 billion including an over-allotment option, surpassing Agricultural Bank of China Ltd.’s $22.1 billion sale in 2010 as the world’s biggest.
For U.S.-based investors, final orders will need to be in by 4 p.m. on Sept. 16, while Alibaba will stop taking orders in Asia and Europe during their respective afternoons on Sept. 17, people said last week. Alibaba still plans to set a final price for the shares on Sept. 18, with trading to begin the next day, one of the people said.
Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Inc. are managing the offering. Rothschild is serving as an independent IPO adviser to Alibaba. The company plans to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BABA.
. . . Tinubu Lauds NNPC Ltd, Partners Over Three Commissioned Gas Projects
In line with its renewed hope agenda, the Federal Government has reiterated determination to utilize Nigeria’s abundant gas resources towards revamping her industrial growth and kick-starting economic prosperity.
Biztellers reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the assertion while commissioning three critical gas infrastructure projects executed by the NNPC Limited and its partners in Ohaji-Egbema, in Imo State and Kwale, in Delta States, on Wednesday.
The three projects commissioned include the expansion of the AHL Gas Processing Plant, the ANOH Gas Processing Plant and the 23.3km ANOH to Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Custody Transfer Metering Station Gas Pipeline Projects.
He said, “It is pleasing that approximately, 500MMscf of gas in aggregate would be supplied to the domestic market from these two Gas Processing Plants, which represents over 25% incremental growth in gas supply.
“In practical terms, this translates into more gas to the Power Sector, Gas-Based Industries, and other critical segments of the economy.”
The President pointed out that from the onset, his administration was clear of its intention to leverage on the virtually unlimited capacity of gas to deepen domestic gas utilization, increase national power generation capacity, revitalize industries, and create multiple job opportunities for economic growth.
He said aside the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative which is aimed at moving Nigerians away from petrol and diesel as vehicular combustion fuel, significant progress has also been recorded in incentivizing gas development through Presidential Executive Orders.
While congratulating the projects partners (NNPC Limited, Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) and Seplat Energy for the successful implementation of the three projects, Tinubu particularly charged the NNPC Limited to, as the national energy company of choice, sustain its relentless efforts and record more successes in the energy sector for the benefit of all Nigerians.
President Tinubu described the commissioning as a highly significant milestone for Nigeria as it demonstrates his administration’s efforts to accelerate the development of critical gas infrastructure geared at enhancing the supply of energy to boost industrial growth and create employment opportunities.
He said the projects were fully in line with the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas initiative, and his administration’s quest to grow value from the Nation’s abundant gas assets while concurrently eliminating gas flaring and accelerating industrialization.
“I wish to assure the citizenry that these are just the beginning, as the federal government is stepping up its coordination of other landmark projects and initiatives that will ensure the earliest realization of gas fueled prosperity in our country.
“Consequently, I wish to assure investors in the energy space that this is an investment enabling government and we will not relent in facilitating the ease of doing business,” the President noted.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo highlighted the efforts of his ministry to continue to champion the utilisation of gas as a transition fuel as Nigeria moves towards achieving clean energy efficiency and security by 2060.
Ekpo commended the President for his leadership and support towards the success of the three projects.
In his remarks, the GCEO NNPC, Mele Kyari described the commissioning as a demonstration of Mr. President’s commitment and support to grow the domestic utilization of natural gas for power generation, as feedstock for gas-based industries and overall rapid industrialization of Nigeria on the back of the enormous gas resources in the country.
Kyari assured that as part of its mandate, NNPC Ltd remains committed to maintaining energy security by executing more strategic gas projects for the benefit of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Government has listed her April 2024 Savings Bonds worth N4.214 billion on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) platform.
This was disclosed in the market bulletin signed by the Head, Issuers Regulation Department of NGX, Godstime Iwenekhai.
According to the bulletin, “Trading License Holders are hereby notified that the April 2024 Issue of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Savings Bonds was listed on Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on May 13, 2024.”
Details of the Bonds include FGS April 2026, 1.228 million units valued at N1.228 billion at a coupon rate of 17.046%, while FGS April 2027, 2.986 million units amounted to N2.986 billion at a coupon rate of 18.046%.
The bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the FGN and charged upon the general assets of Nigeria, according to the debt office.
FGN Savings Bond is issued monthly in tenors of two and three years with quarterly payment of coupons (interest) at a rate predetermined and published by the DMO every month.
The retail savings bond product was introduced by the DMO on behalf of the FGN in 2017 to democratise its activities in the bond market by making it easily accessible to Nigerians to ensure continuous development of the domestic market and bridge infrastructure deficit which has been a constraint to economic growth.
Nigeria’s inflation rate surged to 33.69% in April 2024, up from 33.20% in March, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, released Wednesday, shows a 0.49 percentage point rise within a month.
Year-on-year, the inflation rate has surged by 11.47 percentage points, compared to 22.22% in April 2023, highlighting the ongoing economic challenges and rising costs for consumers.
The report reads “In April 2024, the headline inflation rate increased to 33.69% relative to the March 2024 head line inflation rate which was 33.20%.
“On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 11.47% points higher compared to the rate recorded in April 2023, which was 22.22%.
This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in the month of April 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., April 2023).
“Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in April 2024 was 2.29%, which was 0.73% lower than the rate recorded in March 2024 (3.02%).
“This means that in the month of April 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is less than the rate of in crease in the average price level in March 2024.”
Prices of food and basic commodities have surged dramatically in recent weeks, as Nigerians grapple with a soaring cost of living and one of the nation’s most severe economic crises.
The crisis has been intensified by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.
The naira, which had appreciated against the dollar in April, has since plummeted from about N1,100/$1 to roughly N1,500/$1.
Following the latest inflation report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is anticipated to review the country’s interest rate, currently set at 24.75%.
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