Shares of PB Fintech Ltd, listed with a premium of over 17 per cent against its issue price of Rs 980 on Monday. The company operates an online insurance platform Policybazaar and credit comparison portal Paisabazaar. The stock made its debut at Rs 1,150, up 17.34 per cent on both the BSE and NSE. Its shares then gained 22.95 per cent to Rs 1,205 on the BSE.
The Price range for the Rs 5,710-crore offer was at Rs 940-980 per share. PB Fintech commanded a market valuation of Rs 52,800.49 crore on the BSE in early trade.
The Rs 5,625-crore IPO of PB Fintech was opened for subscription from November 1st to November 3rd. The initial public offer of PB Fintech Limited was subscribed 16.59 times earlier this month. This was thanks to the solid interest of institutional buyers. The portion for qualified institutional buyers was subscribed 24 times, whereas the non-institutional buyer’s portion attracted 7.82 times the bid. Retail investors’ portion received 3.31 times bidding.
Abhay Doshi, co-founder, UnlistedArena, had said despite higher valuations, one could expect another new-age startup to make a decent listing on the bourses. “The company is well placed in their segment. Insurance is highly underpenetrated in India, leaving a wide room for growth,” he added. “It is also the leader in the sector.”
Vishal Balabhadruni, the BFSI Analyst at CapitalVia Global Research, said financial literacy was growing in the country and this would improve the prospects of PB Fintech. “The company has narrowed its losses and profitability may not be farther away,” he added. “The issue seems to be good for the short term or listing gains, but long-term investors must be cautious.
Policybazaar and Paisabazaar command more than 90%and 51.4% market share, respectively. The company wants to have a physical presence through outlets. The asset-light model is generating strong renewal business for it at a low acquisition cost. This would increase on account of convenience, affordability and time-saving provided by the platforms.
PB Fintech will use the proceeds from the issue to increase visibility and awareness of the company’s brands — Policybazaar and Paisabazaar. Around Rs 1,500 crores will go towards brand visibility. At least Rs 375 crore will be used for new opportunities to expand the consumer base including offline presence. The company would like to use Rs 600 crore for strategic investments and acquisitions while a lump sum amount of Rs 375 crore will go for expanding presence outside India, besides general corporate purposes.
(Source-PTI News)
