In January 2023, a total of 53 companies from mainland China finished their initial public offering (IPO) in China and abroad. Despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, IPO numbers and volumes remained robust in 2020. In that year, the annual number of Chinese IPOs reached 645 in 2021, of which 522 were listed at stock markets in mainland China and 123 in Hong Kong or other overseas destinations.
Stock markets in mainland China
Mainland China has two stock exchanges, the Shanghai stock exchange (SSE) and the Shenzhen stock exchange (SZSE). Both rank among the largest stock exchanges in the world. While more large state-owned enterprises are listed in Shanghai, the stock exchange in Shenzhen is home to many technology driven companies, including Huawei and Tencent. Stocks on the Shanghai exchange are distributed across two boards, the Main Board and the Sci-Tech Innovation Board (Star Market), which was newly established in 2019. The Shenzhen exchange has also two boards, the main board and the Growth Enterprises Board (ChiNext). In 2021, a larger number of IPOs were listed at the newer ChiNext and Star Market, and less at the older SME and Shanghai Main Board.
Chinese IPOs abroad
As domestic Chinese stock markets are still not completely open to foreign investors and regulation on the mainland is less stringent, Chinese companies rely on overseas exchanges to attract international investors. Some of the largest global IPOs were those of Chinese companies going public at foreign stock exchanges. The Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Market (HKEX) is a preferred place for mainland companies to get an international listing.
