China’s Estun Automation will set the price of its listing in Hong Kong at the bottom end of its offer range, the industrial robot maker said on Thursday, seeking to raise HK$1.49 billion ($190.54 million) from the share sale.
Estun’s decision to price at the bottom of the range comes as global markets remain skittish after the Iran war erupted on February 28, triggering a broad dash for cash that has lifted volatility and squeezed risk appetite.
Estun, which is already listed in Shenzhen, has offered 96.8 million H shares for the Hong Kong listing at HK$15.36 per share, below the maximum offer price of HK$17 apiece announced last week.
Estun was among a string of companies seeking listings in Hong Kong after the Lunar New Year holiday break, extending the brisk start of share launches in 2026.
Hong Kong’s stock market logged its strongest start to a year since 2021, with IPOs and second listings raising about $5.5 billion in January, the most since $7.6 billion in January 2021, LSEG data showed earlier in February.
KBANK’S MUTED DEBUT IN KOREA
Investor caution has also shown in trading of new issues around the region. South Korean online lender KBank ended just slightly above its IPO price after an early jump of as much as 19% on its domestic debut on Thursday.
Estun last week said funds from the offering would support manufacturing capacity, research, development, and overseas growth initiatives at the company.
The firm is expected to disclose the final offer price on Friday, with its shares slated to debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on March 9.
Other Hong Kong deals are also moving toward pricing and debut, potentially providing more of the first post-crisis gauge on sentiment.
Shenzhen Zhaowei Machinery & Electronics and Alsco Pooling Service are expected to price their offerings soon this week, before debuting on the Hong Kong bourse on March 9 alongside Estun.
Elsewhere in Asia, Singapore’s UI Boustead REIT said in a statement on Thursday that its manager, UIB REIT Management, has registered the prospectus for its proposed listing on the Singapore Exchange.
Malaysia’s Sunway Healthcare said in an emailed response to a Reuters query on Thursday that its IPO planned for March 18 on Bursa Malaysia remains on track at this stage.
($1 = 7.8199 Hong Kong dollars)
Reuters
