Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 1/13/14


Shuanghui International, the investment firm that owns Smithfield Foods and a portion of China’s largest pork processor Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co., could begin as early as next week the process of filing an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to the South China Morning Post.
The newspaper quoted unnamed sources expecting the application process to result in an IPO valued at around $6 billion no later than April. In November, Reuters quoted unnamed sources saying an IPO could occur by mid-2014.

In May 2013 Shuanghui International agreed to buy Smithfield for $4.7 billion in cash plus assumption of debt that together valued the deal at about $7.1 billion.

Shuanghui has reportedly lined up two Chinese securities firms ¬— China CITIC Securities and BOC International — and four mortgage banks including Goldman Sachs, UBS, Morgan Stanley and Standard Chartered in anticipation of the IPO.

Company response
“Shuanghui International continuously evaluates its capital structure to ensure that it remains optimal for the company's growth strategy globally. The company, however, will not comment on any specific capital structure plans that it may or may not be contemplating,” according to a company statement a spokesman forwarded to Meatingplace.  

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