ADNOC to IPO as much as 20% of fuel distribution unit in December
IPO WATCH- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) plans to IPO as much as 20% of its fuel-distribution unit ADNOC for Distribution in the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange on 13 December, Bloomberg reports. The pricing range for the book-build will be announced on 26 November. ADNOC is looking for a valuation of between USD 10-14 bn. “We should see very good demand for this IPO, as the company is closely correlated to the energy industry and you don’t have the chance of buying such a share in the region that easily,” said Issam Kassabieh, equities analyst at Menacorp Financial Services in Dubai. “It is a good play and different than Emaar Development, from the real estate market, that has several names traded already.’’ EFG Hermes reportedly joins Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as joint bookrunners for the offering, while Citigroup, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC and Merrill Lynch International will be coordinating the IPO. The IPO of ADNOC and Emaar come at a trying time for GCC stocks in the wake of the Saudi anti-corruption campaign.
And speaking of Saudi’s anti-corruption campaign, it appears to have hobbled Kingdom Holding’s USD 1.3 bn loan to fund new investments, according to an exclusive from Reuters. Banks have suspended transactions with the company after its owner Alwaleed Bin Talal was arrested as part of the campaign on charges of money laundering, bribery and extorting officials. The move could jeopardize potential investments the company had hoped to make in Egypt including a potential USD 800 mn partnership with Talaat Moustafa Group on the development of hotels in Al Alamein and Sharm El Sheikh.