Malaysia's CTOS targets RM1.2b IPO in third quarter, say sources

Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIAN credit reporting agency CTOS Digital Bhd is looking to raise as much as RM1.2 billion (S$386.4 million) in an initial public offering (IPO) aimed for the third quarter this year, two sources familiar with the deal said.

The listing, which could value CTOS at RM2.4 billion, could come as soon as the end of July, said the sources, who sought anonymity as the process was private.

"There's been great interest from foreign and local institutions, and commitment expressed early on," one of the sources said on Monday.

Both pointed to robust appetite for the offering, even at the early stages of structuring the deal.

CTOS referred to its draft prospectus when Reuters reached out for a comment.

In the draft prospectus filed last week with the markets regulator Securities Commission, the credit information and analytics solutions provider did not disclose how much it planned to raise.

It said the IPO proceeds were earmarked to repay bank borrowings and make acquisitions within three years.

Last year, the firm acquired CIBI Information Inc in the Philippines and a stake of 20 per cent in Thailand's Business Online Public Company Limited.

The firm's existing shareholders, private equity firm Creador and the founders are selling half of their stakes on a pro-rata basis, CTOS group chief executive officer Dennis Martin said in an e-mail.

Creador, which owns 80 per cent of the company, declined to comment.

Last year, it took another of its portfolio firms, Mr DIY Group, public in a RM1.5 billion IPO, which the sources say has helped bolster investors' confidence regarding CTOS' listing.

Home improvement retailer Mr DIY was Malaysia's largest IPO in three years when it listed last October, and its shares have risen more than 140 per cent since.

The sources said some investors in the Mr DIY IPO were keen to join the CTOS offering, but declined to identify them.

Mr DIY counted BlackRock Inc, Aberdeen Standard Investments, Fidelity Investments, JPMorgan Asset Management and insurer AIA Bhd among its dozen cornerstone investors. REUTERS