THE BOTTOM LINE

IPO booms can spell trouble for markets

Companies go public in good times, but these may not last

Published Wed, Sep 2, 2026 · 05:16 PM
    • The “primary” market for initial public offerings is performing sweetly in Hong Kong, but the secondary one, where existing shares are traded, has fallen flat.
    • The “primary” market for initial public offerings is performing sweetly in Hong Kong, but the secondary one, where existing shares are traded, has fallen flat. PHOTO: HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD

    WHEN you suck on a TastySounds lollipop, something funny happens in your head. As well as the flavour on your tongue, you hear music in your ear. Vibrations travel up your jawbone, creating the sensation of sound only you can hear.

    The result is disorientating. The primary sense is of sweetness. The secondary sense is a burst of inner music.

    Something similar is going on in Hong Kong’s stock market, where Amos Food, the maker of TastySounds lollipops and other sweets, plans to list one day.