The next wave of Chinese Internet initial public offerings is expected to come to U.S. exchanges in the coming months and that could shine the spotlight on some already high-flying exchange traded funds.
Last Friday, Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) filed plans for an IPO. Earlier this year, JD.com, the primary rival to Chinese e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba, filed plans for its own IPO. Speaking of Alibaba, it is becoming apparent that the New York Stock Exchange will be the destination for one of this year’s most widely anticipated IPOs.
“Several analysts value Alibaba at north of $130 billion, and many predict that its IPO may raise more than the $16 billion that Facebook raised” in May 2012, reports Michael J. De La Merced of Dealbook.
Investors looking to damp single stock risk while participating in some of the potential upside offered by the new crop of Chinese Internet IPOs have several ETFs from which to choose, including the KraneShares CSI China Internet Fund (NasdaqGM: KWEB). Earlier this year, Kranshares said KWEB, already one of the top-performing China ETFs of any type since its August 2013 debut, could add Alibaba within 11 days of the company’s IPO. [China Internet ETF Could Quickly Add Alibaba]
Assuming the valuation of $130 billion for Alibaba holds firm, the stock could quickly rival Tencent Holdings, China’s largest Internet company, for the title of KWEB’s largest holding. Tencent currently represents 10.1% of KWEB’s weight, according to issuer data.
Any of the aforementioned IPOs, assuming the companies move forward with plans to list in the U.S., could find homes in the Renaissance IPO ETF (NYSEArca: IPO). IPO, which debuted in October 2013, can add companies “on a fast entry basis on the fifth day of trading, or upon quarterly review,” according to Renaissance Capital.
The ETF has previously proved its agility as it was one of the first ETFs to add Twitter following that company’s November 2013 IPO. [Twitter Enters IPO ETF]