From Time:
When the outlandish stock-market events of 2009 are tallied up, the initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong of Chinese herbal shampoo maker Bawang International will be a standout. Within 10 minutes of the June 22 opening of the subscription period for shares, one local brokerage, Bright Smart Securities, was swamped with the equivalent of $129 million in orders. In all, the shampoo company received more than $9 billion in orders from Hong Kong retail investors for an IPO that initially sought to raise just $215 million.
Such examples of excessive investor ardor for new Chinese stocks aren’t hard to find. Shares of Chinese water-treatment-equipment supplier Duoyuan Global Water soared 37% on June 24, its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Back in Hong Kong, Chinese thenardite producer Lumena Resources (thenardite is a key ingredient in powder detergents, textiles, glass, chemical feedstock and pharmaceuticals) rang up 19% in gains on June 17. On June 22, the IPO of China Metal Recycling closed 22% higher.
