2020 was marked by the return of public share offerings (IPOs) in the Brazilian market. From real estate developers to tech companies, there was a resumption of offerings flow that should intensify in 2021.
Below are 5 key points about IPOs that companies and founders typically question:
1. Which Company Size Can Do IPO in Brazil: B3, the Brazilian stock exchange, has 5 listing segments, being Bovespa Mais, Bovespa Mais Level 2, Novo Mercado, Level 2 and Level 1. They cover, like Bovespa Mais, from small and medium-sized companies that wish to access the market gradually, to the Novo Mercado, those that are more consolidated and that have a differentiated corporate governance standard;
2. Pre-IPO Process Phase: at this stage, the company’s Corporate Governance is evaluated and improved, with (i) the creation of board of directors with the participation of independent members; (ii) reform of bylaws; (iii) election of investor relations officer; (iv) contracting an external audit; (v) entering into a shareholders’ agreement; (vi) implementation of executive compensation programs; (vii) criation of integrity policy and code of ethics;
3. The IPO Process: (i) the registration of a publicly-held company with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) will be carried out, so that the company is allowed to trade its shares on the stock exchange; (ii) registration of the public offering of shares before the CVM and (iii) listing procedures before B3;
4. Which Investors Will the IPO Focus On? The IPO may have (i) an offer registered in Brazil only, (ii) registered in Brazil with efforts to sell abroad, (iii) an offer with restricted efforts in Brazil and abroad, and (iv) an offer registered in Brazil and abroad;
5. Documentation of the IPO: the legal instruments that involve the public offering of shares are diverse, including (i) the prospectus (in Portuguese and, for an offerings abroad, in English), being the main document of the offering; (ii) Brazilian and international distribution contracts, which deal with the relationship between the company and the institutions coordinating the offering; (iii) corporate acts that approve the offering, the IPO and the listing; (iv) notice to the market, announcements of opening and closing of the offer; among others.
The items above address doubts that companies and founders, from small to large, have on going public and public offering of shares, a movement that should intensify in 2021.
