58.com, China’s answer to Craigslist, surged more than 55 per cent to $26.46 in its debut on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, in a sign that sentiment towards US-listed Chinese companies could be turning after two years of accounting scandals and critical reports from short-sellers.
The company, which was founded in 2005 and booked $107m in sales for the 12 months to June 30, raised $187m from its initial public offering after pricing its shares at $17 each. The strong first day gains came despite the company having once raised the expected price range of its IPO.
58.com’s listing comes as an increasing number of Chinese internet companies hope to take advantage of the strong US equity markets. Qunar, a popular travel website owned by Baidu, is looking to raise as much as $155m when it goes public on Nasdaq today. Others waiting in the wings include 500.com, China’s leading online sports lottery service provider, and Sungy Mobile, a mobile app developer.