Chinese companies are staring at the prospects of a drought of new equity capital as tougher domestic IPO rules and challenges in listing overseas severely curb their fundraising, putting at risk the floundering economy's recovery.
China's securities watchdog has sharply tightened scrutiny of IPOs this year, leading to companies scrapping domestic listing plans in droves, with some turning to offshore markets such as Hong Kong and New York.
However, sharper scrutiny of IPO hopefuls in the U.S. amid geopolitical tensions and a weaker Hong Kong market will stymie offshore listings for many, highlighted by Alibaba's move this week to ditch the Hong Kong IPO plan of its logistics unit.