Middle East Equity

Equity capital markets investors are waiting eagerly for the price range for Saudi Aramco's IPO and are hoping the Saudi state has listened to the feedback they have given it so far.

Saudi Aramco released an initial IPO prospectus on Sunday and some, mainly in the mainstream financial press, were outraged that it contained no details on price or deal size. However, a full two week investor education process is a perfectly normal feature of IPOs and the fact that Aramco is doing its deal by the book is a good thing.

Saudi Arabia is gathering feedback on how investors see the value of its unique oil company, Aramco, through an army of investment banks. It will have to choose between two priorities: pushing for the crown prince's cherished $2tr valuation or the potentially bigger prize of attracting a wide range of international investors, writes Sam Kerr.

The launch of Saudi Aramco’s IPO on Sunday will begin a fortnight of feverish debates and valuation discussions among investors and banks. But Aramco is not just an investment in an oil company: it is an invitation to be a junior investor in the state of Saudi Arabia — with all the dangers and upside that entails.

The IPO of Saudi Aramco has finally arrived, ending years of speculation over whether the world’s most profitable company would be listed. For investors, and equity capital markets as a whole, it ends feverish speculation over the company’s gargantuan valuation and allows funds to start crunching real numbers on potential dividends.

After another delay to the IPO of Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) may have to accept that international fund managers may never value the kingdom’s prize asset as much as its royal family does, but local investors just might.

Saudi Aramco has delayed the launch of its mega IPO for the second time in two years and investors are starting to tire of continued speculation and no hard numbers on valuation.

Equity investors expect there will be an IPO of Saudi Aramco this year as long as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), and the Saudi government, go ahead with the deal at a valuation below his $2tr aim. But some are concerned the Saudi's will push ahead with whatever value they deem the company is worth, regardless of initial feedback.

Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, is confident that its exceptional financial position will allow its IPO to withstand geopolitical shocks such as the drone attack on the company’s oil facilities last Saturday, write Sam Kerr, Mariam Meskin and Francesca Young.

It isn't often that equity investors are asked to buy assets subjected to physical attack. The drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities on Saturday could lead to Aramco demanding a big discount on any upcoming listing. The IPO market has suffered its fair share of geopolitical tumult of late, but this long and keenly anticipated deal could wind up being the riskiest of them all.

Sources close to the listing of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil producer, have confirmed that they are working flat out to bring the Saudi company to market before the end of the year, despite attacks on its oil fields over the weekend.

Global banks have been stepping up their pitches to win the mandate for oil giant Saudi Aramco's $100bn IPO during the second week of meetings, as competition heated up to win a spot on the on-again, off-again blockbuster sale.