The Alibaba Group is delaying a potential $15 billion listing in Hong Kong because of the region's political instability, two sources "with knowledge of the matter" told Reuters.
Alibaba ($BABA) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Report of the delay comes amid ongoing pro-democracy protests in China's special administrative region. Those months-long demonstrations have taken a toll on the region's market, and Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday warned that the economy is "facing the risk of downturn" due to the growing unrest.
In 2014, Alibaba went public on the New York Stock Exchange after disagreements with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange over the shareholder voting rights structure that the e-commerce giant sought (Hong Kong's stock exchange had required Alibaba comply with its "one shareholder, one vote" policy).
Alibaba did list its Alibaba.com business-to-business web operation in Hong Kong in 2007, but took that enterprise private five years later.
The decision to delay this newest Hong Kong listing was made last week before the company released its quarterly earnings report, according to one of Reuters' sources. The listing was originally expected in late August.
Alibaba — one of the largest companies in China, and the country's largest e-commerce company — still hopes to raise between $10 and $15 billion, according to Reuters' other source. The now-postponed listing could come as early as October, should political and financial conditions stabilize.
NerdWallet Senior Economist Liz Renter shares what she's tracking in economic data, with a focus on U.S. household debt and rising credit card balances. Watch!
Chris Versace, CIO at Tematica Research, joins to discuss earnings season trends, Flash PMI signals, Walmart’s strategy updates, and Nike’s evolving outlook.
Andrew Nusca, Editorial Director at Fortune, dives into WhatsApp’s first-ever ads rollout —and how Meta’s ad push intensifies its showdown with OpenAI.
Ben Geman, Energy Reporter at Axios, joins to discuss the latest Middle East tensions, Brent crude price swings, and why gas prices aren’t falling with oil.
Al Root, Associate Editor at Barron's, joins to discuss Tesla’s robotaxis going live in Texas—what it means for autonomy, safety, and the EV race ahead.
Dena Jalbert, M&A expert and CEO of Align Business Advisory Services, on the state of U.S. M&A: deals worth $1–$10 billion (including debt) are surging.
Jeremy Jansen, Head of Supply Chain at Wells Fargo, unpacks the ongoing trade talks between the United States and China as consumers still wonder about tariffs.
