阿里巴巴宣佈啓動在美IPO

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, China's largest e-commerce vendor, has officially confirmed it will hold an initial public offering in the United States, the company has announced.

The decision will "make [Alibaba] a more global company and enhance the company’s transparency, as well as allow the company to continue to pursue our long-term vision and ideals," according to a company statement sent on Sunday to China Daily.

It did not specify which bourse it will choose to float its shares, or give a detailed timetable.

Alibaba said that, should circumstances permit in the future, it will work towards toward extending its public status in China’s capital market in order to share its growth with the Chinese people.

The company also expressed gratitude towards those in Hong Kong who have supported Alibaba Group, including the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which shut the door on a potential listing last September.

"We respect the viewpoints and policies of Hong Kong and will continue to pay close attention to and support the process of innovation and development of Hong Kong," the statement added.

Hong Kong regulators rejected Alibaba's IPO because of the firm's special request to keep a shareholder structure which would have allowed a group of top managers and founders to nominate and control the company's board of directors.

The unique requirement went against the exchange's one-share-one-vote principle.

The statement puts an end to rampant rumors about Alibaba’s choice of listing venue.

For example, the firm's recent purchase of a stake in a Hong Kong-listed company prompted speculation that Alibaba might use the deal to go public.

Analysts polled by Reuters have put Alibaba's market value at around $140 billion and the value of the IPO at $15 billion. If successful, it will go public in the world's biggest listing since Facebook Inc's debut in 2012.

The announcement came just two days after micro-blogging service Sina Weibo filed to raise $500 million via a US IPO. Alibaba holds 18 percent of Sina Weibo's shares.

【新聞快訊】

阿里巴巴集團16日宣佈，啓動在美國的上市事宜。

阿里巴巴集團表示，啓動在美IPO爲使公司更加透明、國際化，進一步實現阿里巴巴的長期願景和理想。

作爲中國最大的電子商務集團，自旗下子公司於2012年私有化以來，阿里巴巴集團謀求整體IPO的舉動一直備受關注。

此前有機構預計，阿里巴巴上市有可能成爲美國近年來最大規模的IPO，估值在千億美元左右。

去年10月，阿里巴巴集團曾公開回應關於其ＩＰＯ的熱議，集團CEO陸兆禧當時宣佈，阿里巴巴決定不選擇在香港上市。

以下爲阿里巴巴公告全文：

阿里巴巴今天決定啓動在美國的上市事宜，以使公司更加透明、國際化，進一步實現阿里巴巴的長期願景和理想。未來條件允許，我們將積極參與迴歸國內資本市場，與國內投資者共同分享公司的成長。

感謝香港各界人士對阿里巴巴的關心和支持。我們尊重香港現時的相關政策和出發點，並將會一如既往地關注、參與並支持香港的創新和發展。

阿里巴巴集團

2014年3月16日