Waning demand for LIC IPO highlights fiscal challenges for PM Modi

 Life Insurance Corporation of India’s board on Saturday approved selling a 3.5% stake for about Rs 210 billion ($2.8 billion), far lower than the Rs 500 billion estimated before Russia invaded Ukraine

India’s decision to go ahead with a much-reduced target for its vaunted life insurer’s initial public offering, as skittish investors continue to pull money from the South Asian nation, is adding to the risks threatening the nation’s fiscal deficit target.

Life Insurance Corporation of India’s board on Saturday approved selling a 3.5% stake for about 210 billion rupees ($2.8 billion), far lower than the 500 billion rupees estimated before Russia invaded Ukraine. Anchor investors had been reluctant to commit as the war eroded demand for equities, according to people with knowledge of the matter, with foreign funds withdrawing more than $16 billion from Indian stocks this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs inflows because crude oil prices — one of India’s largest imports — have surged. Costs have risen so much that it’s becoming unsustainable for the administration to keep charging taxes on fuel that have been key to bridging a budget deficit. Leaving pump prices high risks stoking inflation and potential social unrest that is already roiling neighboring nations as the region emerges from the pandemic….LIC ipo Date

GIC Re IPO opens today. Should you invest?

GIC Re is the largest reinsurance company in India in terms of gross premiums accepted in fiscal 2017

 

General Insurance Corporation of India Limited (GIC Re’s) initial public offer (IPO) opens today for subscription. The company aims to garner over Rs 11,000 crore. The price band has been fixed at Rs 855 - Rs 912 per share. The IPO would be India's third biggest ever, after Coal India's Rs 15,200 crore and Reliance Power's Rs 11,700 crore issues.

The IPO consists of an offer for sale (OFS) of 10.75 crore shares (12.5% stake pre-issue) worth Rs 9,804 crore at the higher price band and a fresh issue of 1.72 crore shares worth Rs 1,569 crore. The amount raised from the fresh issue will be used for augmenting the capital base to support future business growth and to maintain current solvency levels.

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GIC Re is the largest reinsurance company in India in terms of gross premiums accepted in fiscal 2017. The company, according to CRISIL Research, accounted for nearly 60% of the premiums ceded by Indian insurers to reinsurers in FY17.

Should you subscribe to the IPO? This is what leading brokerages and research houses across the country suggest:

PRABHUDAS LILLADHER

GIC Re showed strong net premium growth at 73% YoY mainly led by four‐fold jump in crop insurance premium collections in FY17 due to the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme whereas fire insurance continues to grow stable at ~23%. GIC Re does not look to increase third party motor business and health group business which has historically had high losses and has not been a profitable business line. At the upper band of Rs 912, the company trades at 27.4x Mar‐17 EPS which we believe is fairly priced, but given the liquidity in the markets and company’s performance in the recent past, we recommend to Subscribe for long term gains..Read More