Hong Kong IPO filings surge amid market momentum

Initial public offering applications at the Hong Kong stock exchange rose 29% in the first four months of 2025 as issuers moved quickly to capitalise on improved sentiment and a potentially brief listing window amid rising global tariff tensions. A total of 112 firms submitted main board IPO filings, up from 87 a year earlier, with 43 applications lodged in April alone. Including carry-over submissions from 2024, 152 companies are now queued to list on Asia’s third-largest bourse. The surge is driven by recent successful IPOs and renewed investor interest in sectors like AI, robotics, biotech, energy, and consumer goods. Legal advisors say firms are accelerating timelines in hopes of securing favourable valuations before external risks, particularly from the US, weigh on momentum.