For investors with an interest in the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), this Christmas a ‘trailer load’ of initial public offers (IPO) have caused analysts, traders and stockbrokers to work overtime to fill orders.

To date, five IPOs have come one right behind the other for the months of November and December, each with the expectation of being oversubscribed.

First out of the block was electrical company FosRich, which closed on December 4th with word on the street that 1,000 applications came in. FosRich sought to raise approximately $200 million from investors, and in fact raked in more than $350 million.

That said, the mammoth $6-billion share offer from Wisynco opened the first week of December and the avalanche of applications have brokers working overtime to process clients’ applications. Industry insiders say that between pension funds, unit trust managers and retail investors, the Wisynco offer will be certainly oversubscribed.

Coming in after Wisynco is GWest. That offer by a group of health professionals is right on the heels of the Victoria Mutual Building Society stock offer.

Seeking to raise only approximately $600 million, the VM IPO is certain to be oversubscribed, according to those ‘in the know’.

By December 7th, the Elite Diagnositcs IPO is expected. Interestingly, quite a number of attorneys-at-law have expressed an interest in Elite; it would seem that the medical team has done their marketing across the professional classes.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-report/trailer-load-of-ipos-for-christmas_119330