Listing can be divided into Initial Public Offering (IPO) and backdoor listing. IPO refers to entry into the market through public offering after having applied for review for listing while backdoor listing signifies immediate listing by non-listed co...
Listing can be divided into Initial Public Offering (IPO) and backdoor listing. IPO refers to entry into the market through public offering after having applied for review for listing while backdoor listing signifies immediate listing by non-listed company through merger with listed company, without having undergone procedures such as review or public offering.
Studies related to IPO have been pursued over long period of time in diverse range of areas. On the contrary, not much study has been carried out on backdoor listing because of its recent emergence in the market.
First, we compare the characteristics of companies that entered the market through backdoor listing and those through IPO in order to assess the ex ante factors in deciding to select backdoor listing rather than IPO.
Second, we assess the influence of backdoor listing on the investment, financial structure, size of turnover and profitability of company following listing. Such ex post facto performance analysis enabled assessment of ex ante motive for choosing backdoor listing through financial variable result between IPO company and backdoor listed company.
The following are the key analysis results and implications of this Study by dividing it into study on motive and performance.
The outcome of study on motive, according to existing study on the factors in deciding IPO, illustrates that companies with young stage and low level of revenues prior to listing are found not to prefer IPO as there is possibility that benefits of influx of funds may be reduced due to undervaluation. The outcome of this Study illustrates that companies with young stage and low level of revenues prior to listing are found to prefer backdoor listing rather than IPO. In addition, companies with high level of profitability and stabilized financial structure entered into the market through IPO rather than backdoor listing in order to acquire sufficient benefits of listing including influx of fund through public offering as well as enhancement of corporate image.
In terms of characteristics of business categories, bio and entertainment companies for which initial investment ratio is high, prolonged period of development and high level of uncertainty on realization of profit are found to prefer backdoor listing as they would have difficulties in fulfilling the requisites for listing. However, bio and entertainment companies that fulfilled the requisites for listing contrarily preferred IPO in order to acquire greater degree of benefits of listing. Such outcome illustrates the fact that although it would be difficult to anticipate that backdoor listing will impart positive effect on the market, the affirmative function of backdoor listing cannot be ignored from the perspective that it provides new opportunities and motivations for entry into the market by non-listed companies that have difficulties, in accordance with the characteristics of their business categories, in fulfilling the requisites of listing, and that it provides method of normalizing insolvent companies confronted with threat of liquidation.
Outcomes of studies on performance, similar to the outcome of existing studies in both Korea and overseas countries, enables one to verify the fact that IPO is not a method for procurement of funds in the future, as investment expenditure on tangible assets of IPO companies has not increased. In addition, although there is improvement effect on the short-term financial structure as funds raised from public offering flow in, it did not last for long period of time. There was no improvement effect in the size of turnover and profitability following listing, and, thereby clarifying the existing studies that assert the management either chooses public offering when the size of revenue is large and profitability high, or the window dressing is made at the time of public offering of the company.
On the other hand, backdoor listed companies, even with exclusion of merger effect investment on tangible asset illustrated statistically significant increase even after third year following listing. As backdoor listing is obtaining of effect of listing by voluntarily merging with company that is already listed, it illustrates results that are different from that of IPO with regards to procurement of funds necessary for investment in the future by the non-listed company. In addition, unlike IPO, as there is no influx of funds raised through public offering through backdoor listing, there is no improvement effect in financial structure even at the year of listing, and there is also no improvement effect in size of turnover and profitability similar to the case of IPO companies following listing.
This Study assessed characteristics of each method by comparatively analyzing backdoor listing and IPO. Both of two methods of listing on stock exchange, that is, IPO and backdoor listing, have double-edge of imparting positive or negative effect on the market, and companies select either of the methods in accordance with the companies’ own characteristics. Therefore, it has been clarified that it is important to establish systematic mechanism of drawing both non-listed companies with the strong financial position and listed companies that wish self-relief efforts into healthy market rather than blindly negative viewpoints and regulations on backdoor listing.