资本热话 | 港股上市潮遇“赶工”质疑，监管直指质量欠佳

Core Insights - The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) have expressed concerns over the declining quality of new IPO applications and non-compliance with regulatory guidelines, particularly in the context of a surge in IPO activity [1][3][6] Group 1: Regulatory Concerns - The joint letter from the SFC and HKEX highlights three main issues: poor quality of listing documents, inadequate responses from sponsors and applicants to regulatory feedback, and failures in the execution of the issuance process [1][6] - The surge in IPOs has led to a significant increase in the workload for market participants, particularly sponsors, resulting in a decline in the quality of submitted documents [3][4] - As of December 9, 2025, there have been 97 IPOs in Hong Kong, raising a net amount of 231.9 billion HKD, a 237% increase year-on-year [3] Group 2: Talent Supply and Industry Dynamics - The rapid expansion of IPO activity contrasts sharply with the lag in the supply of experienced professionals in the investment banking sector, leading to increased workloads for existing staff [4] - The industry is experiencing a talent war due to the surge in new listings, with many firms relying heavily on less experienced employees for foundational work [4][5] - Despite the pressure on work quality, compensation levels in the industry remain high, with average salaries for some Chinese brokers in Hong Kong showing significant increases [5] Group 3: Compliance and Process Execution - The regulatory letter also pointed out that sponsors and applicants have not adequately addressed regulatory comments, leading to unnecessary consumption of regulatory resources [6][7] - Issues in the issuance process include delays in communication and the assignment of inexperienced personnel to key roles, which have hindered compliance with critical timelines [7] - HKEX has implemented a new IPO settlement platform that reduces the time from pricing to trading from five working days to two, increasing the demands on sponsors and applicants [7]