Markets expect IPO of Japan Post Holdings

The IPO of Japan Post Holdings can overtake the one of the Chinese online giant Alibaba Group in 2014, which is still the largest up to date. Simply hot topic in Tokyo is now awaited IPO of Japan Post Holdings – creation, owned by the Ministry of Finance, which combines the national postal services, the activity of the largest savings bank in Japan and one of the major players in the insurance market. At the end of 2014 only the financial division of Japan Post Holdings manages assets for over 205 trillion JPY (1.71 trillion USD), which is approximately 35% of the gross domestic product of Japan.

The public offering is preparing more than a decade, going through fierce political opposition from the very inception of the ideals of privatization so far. The topic is sensitive because not only that Japan Post Holdings brings huge revenues, but also the largest employer in the Asian country. With government attempts to reduce the size of the state financial obligations seems that the shares will be offered sometime in the fall. The treasury aims to raise 4 trillion JPY, or nearly 33 billion USD in exchange.

A similar figure will blow IPO-it on Alibaba, during which the Chinese company raised 25 billion USD and which so far is the largest in the history of stock markets. However, specific details are yet to be announced, says the newspaper Nikkei Asian Review, according to the offer will be three – for Japan Post Holdings, as well as separate divisions of Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance. According to analysts, the total value of the public offering of the holding is in the range 10-20 billion USD.

In the discussions for the sale of Japan Post those with long memories see similarities with the situation a quarter century ago, when the government privatized telecom Nippon Telegraph & Telephone. Unusually for Japan – the listing was a great event not only for the institutions, but also for small investors. Japan Post is not the only potential recognizable market debut. Among the companies most likely this year will come to the Tokyo Stock Exchange is Line Corp – Developer of the popular application for SMS and calls WeChat. The line originally planned to go public in 2014, but decided that the time is not appropriate. According to Nikkei one of the possible obstacles delayed IPO is internal debate about whether the company went public in the US or Japan.

Analysts indicate the company operating the subway in the capital – Tokyo Metro Co., a potential candidate because the company had intentions to become public in 2014. Such a move would allow the Tokyo Metro to source funding to renovate its infrastructure or build a new and before the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.