Initial Public Offerings have been in existence for a long time. But recently they have come under a lot of limelight. In the July-September period of last year, funds to the tune of USD 0.86 billion were raised from just 10 IPOs. And as per an EY report, IPOs are expected to gain more momentum in 2020.
IPOs or Initial Public Offer are the buzzwords these days. Especially after the successful ones like IRCTC and Ujjivan Bank. Indian stock exchanges (BSE & NSE) ranked 6th worldwide in the highest number of IPOs in Quarter 3 of 2019. Read on to understand the IPO Allotment process in detail.
Important aspects of bidding in an IPO
Before we move to the allotment, we should know some important basics about IPO bidding. These days, most IPOs take the book building route. Some important terms to be aware of:
- Price Band
Each IPO involves a price band. It is a price range within which applicants can make their IPO bids. The upper limit (or maximum price) is s the cap price. The lower limit of the price band is the floor price. The final issues price (known as the cut-off price) is decided based on the bids received.
- Lots
The total shares (on offer in the IPO) are divided into small lots. Each applicant needs to bid in these lots and not for individual shares. For instance, if a company intends to issue 1 lakh shares and the lot size is 20 shares per lot. Hence, the total number of lots on offer is 5,000. As per the SEBI guidelines, applicants cannot bid for shares quantity which is lower than the lot size. Also, bidding for lots in decimals (such as 1.5 lots) is not permitted. It is important to note that the lot size is applicable only at the stage of IPO allotment. Post listing, investors can trade their shares in the market in whatever quantity they want.
- ASBA
ASBA stands for Application Supported by Blocked Amount. This facility lets you bid in IPOs without paying any money upfront. The amount remains blocked in the bank account and is deducted only after the allotment.
IPO Allotment process
Share allotment in an IPO needs to be done as per the SEBI guidelines. With the changes introduced by the regulator in 2012, all RII (Retail Institutional Investors) applications need to be treated equally.
Some important points about IPO Allotment process:
- Only bids which are equal to or higher than the issue price qualify for allotment.
- Retail applicants (with qualified bids) need to be allotted the minimum application size, subject to stock availability in the aggregate.
- Apart from retail investors, there are two other types of investors in an IPO – QIB (Qualified Institutional Buyers) and NII (Non-Institutional Investors). Allotment to them is done on a proportionate basis.
Post submission of all the bids, a computerised application is used to eliminate all invalid bids. This helps to identify the number of successful bids. There can be two situations –Under subscription (number of applications received is lesser than the total lot of shares offered) and Oversubscription (number of applications received is higher than the total lot of shares on offer).
Allotment Rules for over and under subscription
In case of an under subscription, every investor gets full allotment, regardless of the application size.
For retail investors, in case of an IPO oversubscription, the max number of retail applicants eligible for allotment of the minimum bid lot is determined by using this formula – Total no. of shares available for RII (Retail Individual Investors) divided by Minimum Bid Lot.
If the IPO is oversubscribed by a huge margin, the final allotment is done through a computerised lottery method. This would mean that some applicants will not get any allotment. If the oversubscription is not by a huge margin, then all applicants will get the minimum bid lot and the balance is proportionality allotted to applicants who had bid for multiple lots.
IPO Allotment Status
IPO Allotment Status of each applicant gives the details regarding the number of shares applied for and final allocation in the IPO. The IPO status details are available online on the website of the registrar. Each IPO has a specific registrar such as Karvy, Linkintime, etc. Applicants can check their IPO allotment status by providing details such as PAN, IPO application number, etc. IPO Allotment Status Online is available within one week of the IPO closing date. The entire allocation process takes almost 10 business days. In the case of non-allotment within that period, the amount paid by the applicant is refunded back.
The registrar also publishes an allotment document which has all the details regarding the IPO allotment such as the total number of applications received, IPO allotment calculations, etc.
Why were shares not allotted to you in the IPO?
There can be three reasons for this.
- Invalid Bid
Bids in an IPO can be rejected or considered invalid for numerous reasons. Some of these are invalid Demat or PAN details, incomplete information, multiple applications by the same person, etc.
- Over Subscription
Oversubscription means that the demand for the company’s shares exceeds the number of shares issued. In case of a hugely oversubscribed IPO, the shares are allotted based on a lottery. The rationale being that every applicant has an equal chance. If your name does not come up in the lucky draw, you will not be allotted the shares.
- Bid Price is below the issue price
IPOs following the book building route requires applicants to bid for lots as well as the price they are willing to pay. If the bid price you have submitted is less than the final issue price, you will not get any IPO allotments.
If you want to stay on top of the IPO game, a financial expert can be of great help. A partner like IndiaNivesh, who has more than 11 years of experience in the Indian markets, can keep you informed about all the upcoming IPOs and help you make the most of it.
Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."
Are you Investment ready?
*All fields are mandatory