While Chinese internet companies have been rushing to list in New York, and Chinese banks are set to raise billions with issues on the mainland this year, there’s one sector that looks rather underrepresented in the equity issuance whirlwind – healthcare.
Shanghai Pharma – which announced the pricing of its Hong Kong IPO on Monday – may benefit from a dearth of new options for those looking for a slice of China’s healthcare boom.
Shanghai Pharma is raising around $2bn by selling H-shares at the mid-point of range – at HK$23 – representing a small discount to its Shanghai listing, and equivalent to a P/E ratio of around 27 times earnings. While above the Asia ex-Japan average for the healthcare sector – which is 21 times earnings – Shanghai Pharma looks favourably priced next to its main rival, Sinopharm(1099:HKG), which trades in Hong Kong at over 40 times earnings. The company has a market cap of around $6bn.