Fast fashion giant Shein launches up to $1.8 billion Hong Kong IPO

Hong Kong-based fast-fashion giant Shein has launched a book building process for its initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong stock market, with the aim of raising up to HK$13.86 billion ($1.77 billion). This valuation puts the company's worth at a maximum of $26.81 billion. The IPO involves the sale of 280 million shares, priced between HK$47.60 and HK$49.50 per share.

Shein is scheduled to price the IPO on August 31 and make its debut on the market on September 1. The IPO comes amid slowing revenue growth, weaker core earnings, and increased competition, as Shein seeks to expand its global reach of over 160 countries. The company's recent financial performance has been impacted by the U.S. removal of an import duty exemption for small packages, which resulted in a $99 million quarterly loss, as well as a $328 million fair-value charge related to convertible redeemable preferred shares due to a change in accounting standards.