Big Chinese companies are turning to the convertible bond market as a way of raising cheap cash from US hedge funds while circumventing investor concerns about political tensions between the two countries.
Traditional US equity fundraising routes such as initial public offerings and follow-on share sales have been almost completely shut to Chinese companies since the disastrous listing of rideshare group Didi in 2021, which delisted the following year after regulatory scrutiny.
In recent weeks, however, a string of large Chinese technology groups have raised billions of dollars through issuing convertible bonds. Such debt typically pays a lower coupon than conventional bonds, but can be converted into stock if a company’s valuation rises to a pre-agreed level.