Management
Md. Tahidur Rahman; Md. Ariful Haque Chowdhury; Syed Zabid Hossain
Abstract
Robi Axiata Limited (Robi)—a multinational cellphone operator—got the nod for the ever-biggest initial public offering (IPO) from Bangladesh's regulatory body on 14 October 2020. The IPO process ended on 24 December 2020 through its debut on the country's two stock exchanges. Based on both ...
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Robi Axiata Limited (Robi)—a multinational cellphone operator—got the nod for the ever-biggest initial public offering (IPO) from Bangladesh's regulatory body on 14 October 2020. The IPO process ended on 24 December 2020 through its debut on the country's two stock exchanges. Based on both primary and secondary data, this study intends to depict the 23 years strategic journey of Robi till its IPO. Robi's IPO was oversubscribed by 5.75 times compared to its counterpart telecom giant Grameenphone by 3.5 times. Beyond the most common motive of settling the loan, network expansion was the only motive for Robi's IPO. The IPO enabled the company to reduce its corporate tax and create a positive brand image among stakeholders. Before the IPO, rebranding from AKTEL into Robi and its merger with Airtel were two major turning points. The merger contributed significantly to the company's market share and overall performance, which ultimately led the company to raise the largest-ever amount from the capital market through IPO.
Accounting
Md. Tahidur Rahman; Syed Zabid Hossain; Md. Anwarul Haque; Md. Abu Hanif Ashik
Abstract
This study intended to explore the IPO motives and the factors that contributed to IPO oversubscription in Bangladesh. Based on hand-collected data from 101 sample IPO prospectus during 2010–19, the study found an average of 10 IPOs per year, mostly (90%) through the fixed-price method. Among the ...
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This study intended to explore the IPO motives and the factors that contributed to IPO oversubscription in Bangladesh. Based on hand-collected data from 101 sample IPO prospectus during 2010–19, the study found an average of 10 IPOs per year, mostly (90%) through the fixed-price method. Among the sample companies, 34.7% were in the textile sector, followed by 17.8% in the engineering sector and 12.9% in the pharmaceuticals & chemical sector. This study observed an average subscription times of 23.41, which was much lower than in some other South Asian countries. Regarding the use of IPO proceeds, loan settlement was the prime motive, followed by capital expenditure, and working capital financing. Companies expensed around 6% of the total IPO proceeds as flotation cost. Although the detailed disclosure of the use of IPO proceeds in the prospectus is a common and expected feature, it was found absent in around 12% of companies. The logistic regression model found a statistically significant influence of lot size (LOT), post-IPO capital (PIC), and flotation cost (FTC) on oversubscription times (OST). The contribution of FTC to OST was a novel finding of this study. The study also found the absence of large and reputed domestic and multinational conglomerates in the listing through IPOs. Thus, the current study recommends regulators should take proper drives to customize and familiarize the book-building method, which can entice good companies for listing in stock exchanges through IPO.