Viva HK biotech! Retail hooked as IPO hits $1.5bn

Viva Biotech Holdings has pulled off an impressive HK$1.52bn ($194m) Hong Kong IPO, striking retail gold as the local public swamped the deal, grabbing half of the stock for themselves. The high level of retail interest is a rarity for IPOs in the city and something that is often unwanted, bringing potential wild price swings to a stock soon after listing, say some bankers. But others foresee enough institutional demand to swallow any bulk selling in the first days of trading. Jonathan Breen reports.