美國禁止中概股赴美上市?危言聳聽!SEC只是加強信息披露

雷遞網 雷建平 7月31日報道

自滴滴上市以來,相關政策調整,使曾火熱的中概股赴美上市潮按下暫停鍵。

中國教育培訓市場的大幅調整,好未來、跟誰學等教育企業市值蒸發超過90%,也加劇了投資人對中概股的恐慌。

昨日,路透社稱,美國證券交易委員會(SEC)禁止中國企業赴美上市,也引發了外界對中概股的進一步擔憂。不過,事實並非如此,所謂SEC禁止中國企業赴美上市,就是危言聳聽。

一位業內人士就指出,SEC並未要求上市申請人不要遞交上市文件,而是暫時停止上市審閱和批准上市文件。

原因是,近期的政策變動使得SEC認爲中國的上市申請人需要在招股書中加強對相關風險的披露,但披露的內容和程度需要SEC內部討論完畢後纔可以繼續,所以仍在申請美國上市的企業可能需要至少幾周的時間。

是加強信息披露 並非是禁止上市

美國SEC主席加里·蓋斯勒(Gary Gensler)當地時間週五也發佈聲明稱,鑑於近期中國加強了赴美上市公司的監管,今後赴美上市的中國企業必須進一步加強信息披露,並披露相關風險。蓋斯勒還要求員工對在中國開展重大業務的公司的申請進行有針對性的額外審查。

“我相信這種披露對於知情的投資決策至關重要,也是SEC保護美國資本市場投資者的核心任務。”

引發SEC擔憂的就是中資企業通過可變利益實體(VIE)機構上市的風險,在這種安排下,一家中國運營公司通常會在開曼羣島等另一個司法管轄區設立一家離岸空殼公司,該空殼公司與總部位於中國的運營公司簽訂服務合同和其他合同,然後在證券交易所發行股票。雖然殼公司在中國運營公司中沒有股權,但出於會計目的,殼公司能夠將運營公司合併到其財務報表中。

蓋斯勒認爲,對於美國投資者而言,儘管殼公司通過一系列服務合同和其他合同和中國國內公司產生關聯,但無論是殼公司股票的投資者,還是離岸殼公司本身,都沒有這家中國運營公司的股權。蓋斯勒聲稱擔心普通投資者可能沒有意識到他們持有的是一家空殼公司的股票,而不是一家中國運營公司的股票。

此外,對於所有尋求直接或通過空殼公司向美國證券交易委員會註冊證券的中國運營公司,蓋斯勒要求工作人員確保發行人在顯著位置清楚地披露:

1、 運營公司和發行人是否獲得或被中國相關部門批准赴美上市。

2、 根據《外國公司問責法案》,公衆公司會計監督委員會(PCAOB)有權在3年內檢查赴美上市公司的財務報表。如果PCAOB無法進行此項工作,將可能導致企業被摘牌。

這之前,新華社發文稱,由於近期的一些監管政策涉及境外上市企業,市場上有一種擔心,擔心未來中國企業赴境外上市的政策是否存在變數,中國資本市場對外開放的步伐是否放緩。“正確理解平臺經濟、教育培訓等行業的監管政策,必須從中國經濟社會發展的大局出發。”

新華社稱,不難得出結論:無論是針對平臺經濟還是校外培訓機構,這些監管政策,都是促進行業規範健康發展、維護網絡數據安全和保障社會民生的重要舉措,並非是針對相關行業的限制和打壓,而是有利於經濟社會長遠發展。

證監會主席易會滿近期也表示:選擇合適的上市地是企業根據自身發展需要作出的自主選擇。一些企業願意到境外上市,一些赴境外上市的企業願意迴歸,有來有去是一種正常現象,我們總體都持支持態度。

易會滿同時強調,全球各監管機構也需要進一步加強互相之間的執法合作,共同爲市場提供良好的監管預期和環境,共同打擊違法違規行爲。“同時,我們將切實處理好開放與安全的關係,企業赴境外上市的前提,是要符合境內相關法律法規和監管要求。”

中概股赴美上市已面臨暫停

2021年上半年,中概股赴美上市還非常火熱。滿幫、Boss直聘等等,一系列企業均已成功赴美上市。

但2021年5月以來,尤其是滴滴上市後,多家企業已經取消或暫緩了上市計劃。比如,亞朵酒店、零氪科技(LinkDoc)、SOUL都是上市前夕取消上市計劃。喜馬拉雅則是取消上市。

哈囉出行、福佑卡車、火花思維等企業已經遞交招股書,但遲遲沒有動靜。天鵝到家已暫停赴美上市進程,稱嚴格依法依規運營。原本要遞交招股書的Keep,也因爲滴滴暫緩了遞交招股書。

爲何很多中國科技及互聯網企業傾向於美股上市,而並非是港股或A股?

原因有幾點:

1,美股上市流程簡單,從遞交招股書,到正式上市,前後不到一個月就可以完成,而港股、A股動輒幾個月,甚至一兩年時間。

2,美股流動性好,對企業的虧損性寬容高,而很多科技企業往往無法滿足國內的盈利要求,很難在國內上市。港股的流動性又不如美股強,往往是行情好的時候,美股和A股上漲更多,港股跟着上漲,行情不好時,美股和A股下跌,港股則下跌更多。因此,在可以選擇的情況下,企業如果無法上A股,往往先優先美股。

實際上,港交所改革前,大多數互聯網企業都是美股上市,港交所允許同股不同權後,才迎來了小米、美團在港股上市的一個小高潮,現在因爲中美關係緊張等原因,港交所擔任了一個備胎角色,吸引了很多中概股在港股二次上市。

當前,美國PCAOB是否有權審查中國公司的審計,正是中美兩國監管機構長期僵持的關鍵點,爲此雙方曾進行了反覆談判。中國公司一直以通過進入美國資本市場的方式,廣泛的依靠美元融資。不過,中國通過援引嚴格的保密法,一直拒絕讓PCAOB審查中國在美股上市公司的審計。

2020年瑞幸咖啡造假風波的時候,圍繞着中國公司的審計底稿的問題,曾掀起非常激烈的討論。

可以預期的是,中概股未來的日子,一定是在波折中前行,但SEC禁止中概股上市的可能性很低,原因是,對美國來說,這本身也是利益極大的一筆生意,如果禁止中概股上市,對美國來說,也是很大的損失。

附SEC聲明的英文內容:

Statement on Investor Protection Related to Recent Developments in China

Recently, the government of the People’s Republic of China provided new guidance to and placed restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, including through associated offshore shell companie

For U.S. investors, this arrangement creates “exposure” to the China-based operating company, though only through a series of service contracts and other contracts. To be clear, though, neither the investors in the shell company’s stock, nor the offshore shell company itself, has stock ownership in the China-based operating company. I worry that average investors may not realize that they hold stock in a shell company rather than a China-based operating company.

In light of the recent developments in China and the overall risks with the China-based VIE structure, I have asked staff to seek certain disclosures from offshore issuers associated with China-based operating companies before their registration statements will be declared effective. In particular, I have asked staff to ensure that these issuers prominently and clearly disclose:

That investors are not buying shares of a China-based operating company but instead are buying shares of a shell company issuer that maintains service agreements with the associated operating company. Thus, the business description of the issuer should clearly distinguish the description of the shell company’s management services from the description of the China-based operating company;

That the China-based operating company, the shell company issuer, and investors face uncertainty about future actions by the government of China that could significantly affect the operating company’s financial performance and the enforceability of the contractual arrangements; and

Detailed financial information, including quantitative metrics, so that investors can understand the financial relationship between the VIE and the issuer.

Additionally, for all China-based operating companies seeking to register securities with the SEC, either directly or through a shell company, I have asked staff to ensure that these issuers prominently and clearly disclose:

Whether the operating company and the issuer, when applicable, received or were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges; the risks that such approval could be denied or rescinded; and a duty to disclose if approval was rescinded; and

That the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which requires that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) be permitted to inspect the issuer's public accounting firm within three years, may result in the delisting of the operating company in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the firm.

In addition to this specific guidance, we will continue to hold all companies to the securities laws’ high standards for complete and accurate disclosure.

Further, I also have asked staff to engage in targeted additional reviews of filings for companies with significant China-based operations.

I believe these changes will enhance the overall quality of disclosure in registration statements of offshore issuers that have affiliations with China-based operating companies. This work builds on the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance’s previous guidance on disclosure considerations for companies based in or with significant operations in China.[1]

I believe such disclosures are crucial to informed investment decision-making and are at the heart of the SEC’s mandate to protect investors in U.S. capital markets.

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雷遞由資深媒體人雷建平創辦,若轉載請寫明來源。


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