RE&S opens 60% above IPO price on debut day

SHARES of RE&S Holdings opened on Wednesday - its first day of trading on the Catalist board - at 35.5 Singapore cents, 61 per cent higher than its issue price of 22 cents.

The Japanese food and beverage (F&B) group was among the most active stocks on the Singapore Exchange in the early morning. As at 9.17am, the stock was trading at 34.5 Singapore cents and some 9.3 million units had changed hands.

RE&S said on Tuesday that it has received strong interest from investors for its initial public offering (IPO) of 38 million shares at 22 Singapore cents apiece. The invitation for the public offer shares and the placement shares (excluding six million reserved shares) was 37.8 times subscribed, it added.

Among institutional investors that have subscribed for the placement shares are Affin Hwang Asset Management Berhad, JF Asset Management Limited, Lion Global Investors Ltd, Nikko AM Asia and Qilin Asset Management Pte Ltd, which have each been allotted 5 per cent of the invitation shares.

PhillipCapital last week recommended "subscribe" on RE&S's IPO, noting that RE&S would trade at a historical price-earnings ratio of 13.7 times post-IPO, which is 13.8 per cent lower than the industry average of 15.9 times.

The group has a diversified portfolio with a strong track record of over 25 years, a wide range of offerings with a multi-price-point strategy, and has a team of experienced management, PhillipCapital said.

RE&S, which owns and operates 72 food and beverage outlets in Singapore and five in Malaysia, has a portfolio of 20 brands including Ichiban Boshi, Ichiban Sushi and Sumiya, across full-service restaurants as well as quick-service ones and convenience.

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