Nov 17, 2019

Oil giant Saudi Aramco sets initial IPO valuation at $1.7 trillion

Rebecca Falconer

The Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Tom Stoddart/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Saudi Arabian state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco said in an updated prospectus Sunday that it has set an initial valuation of $1.6 trillion to $1.71 trillion.

Why it matters: The IPO could potentially be the world’s biggest, though it does fall short of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's hopes of a $2 trillion valuation.

By the numbers: Aramco said it intends to raise up to 96 billion riyals ($25.6 billion) by selling 1.5% of its shares at 30–32 riyals ($8–$8.5).

  • Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group raised $21.8 billion in its initial stock sale in 2014 — the largest ever IPO.

What's next: Aramco is due to publish its final valuation on Dec. 5, per Bloomberg.

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Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Ben Geman

Saudi Aramco's IPO is huge and limited at the same time

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

There's a split-screen effect with the Saudi Aramco IPO: it's simultaneously the largest ever and an event that's less consequential than initially envisioned.

Driving the news: The company yesterday said shares would be priced at 32 riyals, or $8.53, per share on the country's domestic exchange, representing a $1.7 trillion valuation.

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Ben Geman

Saudi Aramco's shrinking IPO

President and CEO of Saudi Aramco Amin Nasser (left), and Aramco's chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan (right).

Saudi Arabia's decision to abandon a $2 trillion valuation for the Aramco IPO underscores hurdles facing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plans to use the company as a tool for diversifying the kingdom’s crude-reliant economy.

Driving the news: ICYMI, over the weekend Aramco announced preliminary pricing on the offering that signals an estimated valuation of the world's largest oil-producing company in the $1.6–$1.7 trillion range.

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Axios

Podcast: When the biggest IPO isn't big enough

Saudi Aramco is taking the world's largest oil producer public in what is expected to be the largest IPO of all-time — but it will be smaller than expected. Dan digs in with Axios' Ben Geman on what this means for global financial and energy markets, plus the future of Saudi Arabia.

Go deeper: Saudi Aramco's shrinking IPO

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