China stock offers to resume next week

Afp, Shanghai

Chinese companies will resume initial public offerings (IPOs) with a bang next week, when an industrial explosives maker becomes the first to offer shares to investors following a four-month freeze.

China's IPO rules systematically undervalue companies coming to the market, offering near-guaranteed profits to those lucky or well-connected enough to be allocated shares. This heightens volatility as investors sell holdings to raise money for applications.