Brief IPOs & Placements: Ruhnn (如涵) IPO Review – Expensive Influence and more

In this briefing:

1. Ruhnn (如涵) IPO Review – Expensive Influence
2. Yunji (云集) Pre-IPO Review – Poor Disclosure on Data
3. ESR Cayman Pre-IPO- First Stab at Valuation
4. Yunji IPO Preview: Balance Sheet Points to Waning Engagement
5. Xinyi Energy IPO Preview: Second Time Lucky?

1. Ruhnn (如涵) IPO Review – Expensive Influence

Ruhnn Holding Ltd (RUHN US) is looking to raise up to US$155m in its upcoming IPO. We have previously covered the company’s fundamentals in: Ruhnn (如涵) Pre-IPO Review- Significant Concentration Risk.

In this insight, we will value the company business segments by parts, look at the deal dynamics, and run the deal through our IPO framework.

2. Yunji (云集) Pre-IPO Review – Poor Disclosure on Data

Yunji Inc. (YJ US) is looking to raise about US$200m in its upcoming IPO. 

YJ is a membership-based social e-commerce platform. Growth from FY2016 to FY2018 has been stupendous. Revenue has grown at a 218% CAGR while gross profit grew at 175% CAGR. Losses have been shrinking as a percentage of revenue and the company seems to be close to break even.

However, the disclosure of data is poor. There is no clear explanation how the company has achieved such strong growth in FY2018 without having to provide a proportionately larger incentive in the same period. 

3. ESR Cayman Pre-IPO- First Stab at Valuation

ESR Cayman (ESR HK) aims to raise up to US$1.5bn in its planned Hong Kong listing, as per media reports. The company is backed by Warburg Pincus and counts APG, the Netherlands’ largest pension provider, as one of its main investors.

In my earlier insights: I touched upon the company’s business model and provided an overview of its operations, ESR Cayman Pre-IPO – A Giant in the Making and talk about the financials and the drivers for each of the three segments, ESR Cayman Pre-IPO – Earnings and Segment Analysis.

In this insight, I’ll look at valuing each of the segments.

4. Yunji IPO Preview: Balance Sheet Points to Waning Engagement

Yunji Inc. (YJ US) is a leading membership-based social e-commerce platform in China which primarily sells merchandise through its Yunji app. Yunji is also referred to as a multi-level revenue sharing platform as the business model is based on providing incentives to members to promote products and invite new members through their social networks. Yunji is seeking to raise $200 million through a Nasdaq IPO.

5. Xinyi Energy IPO Preview: Second Time Lucky?

Xinyi Energy Holdings Ltd (1671746D HK) has filed IPO prospectus once again to list its solar generation business that was spun-off from its parent company Xinyi Solar Holding Ltd. Xinyi Energy has 9 operational solar farms with a total capacity of ~950MW.

The company is set to acquire additional solar farms of 540MW capacity from its parent company in a separate transaction post IPO.

Xinyi Energy has not indicated the size and pricing of its offer, however, according to various media reports the company is expected to raise nearly HK$570M (around 12% of the previous offering of HK$4.5B). A significant portion of IPO proceeds is expected to be utilised towards upfront payment of 50% for acquiring solar farms from its parent company and the remainder for working capital and debt repayment. Although we have a positive view of the solar energy sector, the IPO pricing will determine our overall view of the company.