Shein Ends Flat in Debut After Raising $1.7 Billion in Hong Kong IPO

Shares of Chinese online fashion giant Shein ended flat on its first day of trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, capping off the company’s convoluted multiyear quest to go public.

Shein’s shares opened at HK$48.56 on Tuesday, and dropped as much as 10% before shedding the losses and closing at HK$48.5, according to Hong Kong stock exchange data. By comparison, the benchmark Hang Seng Index dipped 0.93%.

As of Tuesday market close, Shein had a market capitalization of $26 billion, a far cry from the height of $100 billion reached during a private funding round in 2022. The company raised HK$13.6 billion ($1.7 billion) in the initial public offering.

Shein for years tried to downplay its China roots and position itself as a global company, as its fashionable, ultracheep clothing gained popularity among consumers in the West. The company tried to go public in both New York and London, but the attempts were thwarted by criticism against its labor and environment practices and China’s straining ties with the U.S.

Wearing a white, Shein-branded T-shirt like other employees, Sky Xu, the company’s elusive founder and CEO, attended the listing ceremony in Hong Kong but stayed out of the limelight most of the time. He didn’t deliver a speech or participate in the iconic Hong Kong-style gong-striking ritual on stage to mark the beginning of trading. Shein’s employees struck the gong and CFO Leigh Gui delivered a short speech.