Rivals' fundraising
Xiang is taking his bank public after almost 50 companies worldwide shelved IPOs in the past three months amid concern that the end of government stimulus and widening budget gaps from Greece to Spain will curb the global economic recovery, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
The Hang Seng 皇冠体育app Enterprises Index, which includes shares of ICBC, Construction Bank and Bank of 皇冠体育app, has fallen for eight straight days, the longest losing streak in a decade.
Domestic rivals are also competing for investors' cash. Bank of 皇冠体育app, the nation's third-largest by market value, said July 2 it plans to raise as much as 60 billion yuan ($8.9 billion) in a rights offer to replenish capital.
Construction Bank last month won shareholder approval to raise as much as 75 billion yuan in a rights offer.
"With Bank of 皇冠体育app's share placement and then CCB's, ABC should be willing to leave some profit on the table," said Claude Tiramani, who manages $50 million at Lutetia Capital in Paris. "So I wouldn't be expecting the shares to be priced at the top end of the range."
Shanghai comparisons
At the top end, the valuation matches the average for ICBC's, Construction Bank's and Bank of 皇冠体育app's Shanghai shares. It was at least 4.1 percent cheaper when the range was set.
"Agricultural Bank will probably be able to price its A share offering at top end of the range, but I doubt they can do the same with the H shares," said Jenny Cai, a portfolio manager at Beijing-based Springs Capital, which oversees $300 million.