The Significance of Anchor Investors in Initial Public Offerings
Retail investors are not the only ones who hurry to apply for shares when a company goes public. The success of an IPO is also significantly influenced by institutional investors. These individuals are known as anchor investors, and they provide the market with a strong signal by investing in an IPO before it opens to the general public. Recognizing anchor investors, their significance, and the impact their presence has on investor confidence. Let us dissect it.
Anchor Investors: Who Are They?
Large, eligible institutional buyers known as "anchor investors" contribute to a company's initial public offering (IPO) prior to its public opening. Their early pledge of at least ₹10cr in funding encourages additional investors and boosts IPO confidence.
SEBI introduced anchor investors in 2009, allowing them to take up to 60% of the part earmarked for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs). With a required lock-in period, they must spend a minimum of ₹10 crore in a mainboard IPO or ₹2 crore in a SME IPO. They pay the difference if the total book-building price exceeds their allocation price; otherwise, they receive no reimbursement. One day before to the IPO opening for regular investors, shares are distributed to retail investors.
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