In This Article:
(Bloomberg) -- Xiaomi Corp. raised about $5.5 billion in an upsized share sale, as the Chinese tech firm capitalizes on a surge in its stock price to help raise funds to expand its electric-vehicle business.
Most Read from Bloomberg
-
Why Did the Government Declare War on My Adorable Tiny Truck?
-
Trump Slashed International Aid. Geneva Is Feeling the Impact.
-
These US Bridges Face High Risk of Catastrophic Ship Strikes
The offering, which comes weeks after EV giant BYD Co.’s $5.6 billion fundraising, builds on what’s shaping up to be a bumper year for share sales in Hong Kong. After several years of declines, the city’s benchmark stock index is among the world’s best performers this year, fueling optimism for a rebound in deals in the Asian financial hub.
Beijing-based Xiaomi placed 800 million shares at HK$53.25 each ($6.85), or 6.6% below Monday’s close. The stock fell as much as 6.6% on Tuesday.
The company had earlier been looking to sell 750 million shares at HK$52.80 to HK$54.60 apiece, according to terms of the deal seen by Bloomberg.
Xiaomi has been investing aggressively in its nascent EV business to drive growth. It recently increased its 2025 EV delivery target after posting the fastest revenue growth since 2021. As part of its efforts to ramp up production, the company is expanding the size of a planned second factory in the Chinese capital, Bloomberg News reported earlier.
Prior to today, the Hang Seng Index had gained 19% this year, helping renew interest in Hong Kong stocks among global investors who had shied away from Chinese deals in the past few years, with expectations running high for more companies to tap the equity markets this year.
Xiaomi’s stock has more than tripled from a low in August, making it the best performer on the Hang Seng. The company has won investors over by duplicating its smartphone success in China’s crowded EV market.
The fundraising can be a long-term positive for the company given the potential for deleveraging, artificial intelligence-related research and development and building out its EV capacity, Citigroup Inc. analyst Kyna Wong wrote in a report. In the short-term, though, it will pressure the shares given the dilution, the analyst noted.
The offering was multiple times subscribed and it received strong interest from long-only investors and sovereign-wealth funds, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named as they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
Xiaomi’s placement puts Hong Kong on course to have its biggest quarter for share sales since the last three months of 2021, when almost $16 billion was raised, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Prior to Xiaomi, equity deals in Hong Kong including initial public offerings had hit nearly $10 billion this year, more than sevenfold from a year earlier, according to the data.