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

Online fast-fashion retailer Shein initiated the book-building process for a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, with the aim of raising up to HK$13.86 billion ($1.77 billion). This valuation would place the company at up to $26.81 billion, as outlined in the offering prospectus. Shein is offering 280 million shares, with a minimum price of HK$47.60 per share and a maximum price of HK$49.50 per share.

The IPO is scheduled to be priced on August 31 and will commence trading on September 1. This significant move comes amidst Shein's slowing revenue growth and weaker core earnings, which have raised concerns about the impact of higher trade costs, tighter regulatory scrutiny, and increased competition in the global e-commerce market.

Her recent financial performance took a turn for the worse after the U.S. removed an import duty exemption on small packages, resulting in a $99 million quarterly loss. Additionally, Shein incurred a $328 million fair-value charge on convertible redeemable preferred shares due to an accounting change.