Xiaomi is said to win Hong Kong stock exchange approval for IPO

Xiaomi Corp has won Hong Kong stock exchange approval for its planned initial public offering, which would be the first listing in the city with weighted voting rights, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The smartphone maker passed its so-called listing hearing on Thursday, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Xiaomi plans to start gauging investor demand in the next few days, one of the people said.

Xiaomi is one of the most hotly anticipated Hong Kong deals in years. The company, led by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun, has been considering seeking about US$10 billion from the IPO, people familiar with the matter have said.

The offering could become the world's largest first-time share sale since Alibaba Group Holding listed in the US in 2014, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Beijing-based Xiaomi was the first to file for a Hong Kong IPO with a weighted-voting rights structure after the city's bourse changed rules in April. It could also become the first firm to issue Chinese depositary receipts, after it picked Citic Securities to handle a planned mainland listing.

A representative for Xiaomi declined to comment. The Hong Kong Economic Times reported the approval earlier, citing unidentified people.

Citic Securities unit CLSA Ltd, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley are joint sponsors of the Hong Kong IPO, according to a stock exchange filing last month.

Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and six Chinese banks are also helping to arrange the share sale, people familiar with the matter have said.

BLOOMBERG