Shein is about to go public in London

As reported today by Bloomberg, Shein is poised for its first stock market valuation, which is expected to take place in London within the week, according to most speculation. The valuation is expected to be around the astounding figure of $64 billion according to the sources cited - however, the officiality is still lacking. It is precisely the absence of officiality, taken together with market fluctuations and rumors about the valuation itself, that could push the date to change. The mechanism however seems to be already in motion. Still according to Bloomberg, Shein still needs the approval of the Chinese government through the China Securities Regulatory Commission, since without the government's consent no Chinese company can get itself valued on the stock exchange outside the country.

Shein's is an important descent into the field for two reasons. The first is that such an IPO could provide the brand with unprecedented power and access to capital, given how unsinkable its business currently appears to be. The second is that it could represent one of the highest stock market valuations ever seen in the United Kingdom, capable according to some of restoring the importance of the London marketplace, from which some companies have moved away in preference to New York. Shein's choice of London is about procedural simplification, since the company has faced obstacles at every turn in the United States, where the government in Washington has strongly opposed its listing.