Legend Holdings mulls series of spinoffs

Liu Chuanzhi, speaks at a summit in Jinan, Shandong province. [Photo/VCG]

China's diversified investment giant Legend Holdings is planning a slew of spin-off listings, with A-share its top destination, Chairman Liu Chuanzhi told China Securities Journal.

Subsidiaries will start offering process as early as next year, said Liu, as Hong Kong Stock Exchange bans spin-off within three years of parent's original listing.

Listed in Hong Kong in June 2015, Legend Holdings oversees a wide expanse of businesses from IT, property and financial services to agriculture and chemical materials. The company's asset totaled 141.3 billion yuan ($20.5 billion) as of last June.

"Legend Holdings is an investment-driven group, therefore we place a great deal of value on capital markets, especially A-share market," Liu told the newspaper.

With most of the invested companies based in mainland, A-share listing will also help promote brand values, he said, adding that some already fit the listing requirements and are in active preparation.

The initial public offerings (IPOs) slated for next year will come as an expansion to Legend Holdings' presence in secondary market.

In March, the group-backed third-party payment firm Lakala announced its plan to list on Nasdaq-style ChiNext Board in Shenzhen, issuing up to 40.01 million shares. Joyvio, another Legend portfolio company, acquired a controlling stake of Shenzhen-listed Wanfu Biotechnology.

Legend Holdings, which started as a PC vendor in 1980s, is now known more as a strategic and financial investor. Since 2000, Legend Star, Legend Capital and Hony Capital have helped over 100 IPOs.

"We hope to cultivate multiple pillar industries, so when one suffers from temporary difficulty, Legend Holdings as a parent group would still have a firm standing," Liu told the newspaper.

China has surpassed Europe, and even the United States in many fields, in terms of internet applications, he said, adding that companies must strive to grow bigger and lean in, and never cut loose on innovation.