Introduction to IPO

Chapter 14

Understanding IPO Subscription

Understanding IPO Subscription

IPO subscription represents the demand for shares during the company's initial public offering. This data shows how many shares investors request throughout the subscription window, which usually lasts between 3 to 10 business days, depending on the IPO type. You can track this information live on platforms like iposcanner.ai, as well as on the BSE and NSE websites.

The subscription figures tell us how many shares the public has subscribed to compared to what's available. This number fluctuates during the IPO window and is finalized once the bidding period concludes.

How Does Subscription Data Benefit Investors?

  • It reveals the overall demand for IPO shares. A high demand can point to a promising IPO.
  • This data is a crucial element in crafting an IPO investment strategy.
  • Live subscription numbers help investors decide on the best-reserved category, like retail, NII, employee, or shareholder, for maximizing returns.
  • Subscription data influences the grey market price of the IPO.
  • It assists in deciding whether to finance an IPO investment.
  • Knowing the subscription rate can guide investors toward IPOs with higher allocation chances; however, higher subscription rates often mean lower allotment chances.

Timing Your IPO Subscription

Investors can submit bids for IPO shares anytime during the open bidding period. The exchange’s bidding platform operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., though brokers and banks accept bids around the clock. However, they forward these bids to the exchanges only between 10 a.m. on the opening day and 5 p.m. on the closing day.

Here's the timing breakdown:

  • Investor to broker/bank: Anytime while the IPO is open (24 hours).
  • Bank to Stock Exchanges: From 10 a.m. on the IPO opening date to 5 p.m. on the closing date.

A few notes:

  • The UPI mandate must be approved before the broker/bank uploads the bid to the exchange.
  • Brokers and banks typically end their subscription window between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the last subscription day to ensure enough time to process and send bids to the exchange by 5 p.m.

Charges for IPO Subscription

Investors can place bids for IPO shares free of charge through stockbrokers and banks. Once shares are allocated, brokers might charge fees and taxes when these shares are sold on the exchange.

Issuing companies offer small processing fees to stockbrokers and banks for managing IPO applications.

Bidding Categories in IPOs

Investors are mainly divided into these categories for IPO participation:

  1. Retail Individual Investors (RII)
  2. Non-Institutional Investors (NII)
  3. Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB)
  4. Employees
  5. Shareholders
  6. Anchor Investors

Key points:

  • Retail investors typically invest under Rs. 2 lakhs.
  • NIIs are split into Small NIIs (under Rs. 10L) and Big NIIs (above Rs. 10L).
  • Anchor investors investing over Rs. 10 crores fall under the QIB category.
  • Some IPOs reserve shares for employees or specific groups, as outlined in the RHP.

Using an IPO Subscription Calculator

An IPO Subscription Calculator helps investors gauge how many times an issue has been subscribed. To use it, you'll need the offered shares per category and bid numbers, available on stock exchange websites.

Investors often rely on these sites for subscription details rather than calculating it themselves. Here's an example with Sula Vineyards' IPO to illustrate the calculation process.

Sula Vineyards IPO Subscription Example

Sula Vineyards launched a public issue of 18,830,372 shares in December 2022.

CategoryShares OfferedAmount (Rs Cr)Size (%)Shares Bid forSubscription (times)
QIB5,380,106192.0728.57%22,240,5124.13x
NII4,035,080144.0521.43%6,088,4461.51x
Big NII2,690,05396.0314.29%4,539,0661.69x
Small NII1,345,02748.027.14%1,549,3801.15x
Retail9,415,186336.1250.00%15,507,9961.65x
Total18,830,372672.24100%43,836,9542.33x

Key Takeaways:

  • Subscription times are calculated by dividing the number of shares bid by the shares offered.
  • For a fixed-price offer, check the RHP for share numbers. For book-built issues, derive these numbers from the allotment ratio.
  • Bid data is accessible on NSE and BSE websites.
  • Some IPOs include reserved categories for employees, detailed in the bidding documents.
  • The public's total share offering excludes market maker portions in SME IPOs and anchor investor portions in Main Board IPOs.

Different Types of IPO Subscriptions

IPO subscription times reveal demand levels. If times exceed 1, the IPO is oversubscribed; if below 1, it's undersubscribed.

Two main types of subscriptions are:

1. Oversubscribed IPO

An oversubscribed IPO occurs when bid shares exceed available shares, indicating greater demand than supply. For example, Sula Vineyards' IPO was oversubscribed 2.33 times.

Benefits include:

  • Companies can raise more capital.
  • Potential for premium listing.
  • Positive indicator for the company.

2. Undersubscribed IPO

An undersubscribed IPO has fewer share applications than shares offered, signaling lower demand. For instance, if a company offers 10 lakh shares at Rs 90 but receives applications for only 8 lakh shares, it's undersubscribed.

Subscription Impact on Listing Price

IPO subscription numbers help forecast share prices when trading begins post-listing. A highly subscribed IPO suggests strong demand, potentially leading to a premium listing. However, several factors influence share prices, such as:

  • Market Sentiments
  • Grey Market Premium (GMP)
  • Company’s Future Prospects
  • Promoter’s Share Offload
  • Policy/Economic Changes in the Industry

For more insights, refer to IPO Subscription vs. Listing Gain data.

Subscription and Grey Market Premium

Some IPO shares trade unofficially in the grey market before official listing, with the trading premium known as Grey Market Premium (GMP). GMP reflects the premium investors are willing to pay over the issue price.

A higher GMP suggests strong demand, resulting in higher subscription rates. Conversely, a lower GMP indicates less demand and lower subscription rates.

Historical Subscription Data

  • Mainboard IPO Subscription Status Live
  • SME IPO Subscription Status Live
  • NCD Subscription Status Live
  • Most Subscribed IPO in India (All Time)
  • Most Subscribed IPOs (Yearly)
  • Top 10 Mainboard IPOs by Subscription (Yearly)
  • Top 10 SME IPOs by Subscription (Yearly)
  • IPO Subscription vs. Listing Gain

Frequently Asked Questions

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