July 9, 2018 – Xiaomi Corp. shares slipped and then rebounded today in the Chinese smartphone maker’s first trading day in Hong Kong following a multibillion-dollar initial public offering.
Trading opened at 16.60 Hong Kong dollars ($2.11) per share, below Xiaomi’s offering price of 17 Hong Kong dollars ($2.17). Shares lost about 4 percent in early trading but rebounded to end the day 16.80 Hong Kong dollars ($1.98).
Xiaomi, which helped to pioneer the trend for ultra-low-priced smartphones, says it plans to become an equipment-and-hardware brand alongside Apple Inc. The 8-year-old company has yet to give details of how that business model will work outside China.
Speaking at the ceremonial opening of trading, chairman Jun Lei noted the IPO comes at a time when financial markets have been roiled by U.S.-Chinese trade tensions.
“Although the macro-economic conditions are far from ideal, we believe a great company can still rise to the challenge and distinguish itself,” he said.