LG Energy's $10.87-bn offering eyes to break Samsung Life's record

LG Energy Solution may raise up to 12.8 trillion won ($10.87 billion) in what could be South Korea’s biggest initial public offering. Even at the low end of its price range, the company looks set to top the country’s largest listing to date, Samsung Life Insurance’s 4.9-trillion-won offering in 2010.

“Through this IPO, we are preemptively responding to the demand for the lithium-ion battery market, which is expected to see rapid growth,” LG Energy’s Chief Executive Officer Kwon Young Soo said in a statement. It expects to offer 34 million new shares at 257,000-300,000 won apiece, it said. The parent company, LG Chem, plans to offer 8.5 million existing shares in the same price range.

In this range, LG Energy’s valuation would be as much as 70.2 trillion won ($59.55 billion), South Korea's third highest after Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Still, analysts said the valuation was underrated.

South Korea is seeing its hottest IPO market on record this year. More than 20 companies have gone public on the main KOSPI market, raising about 17 trillion won, beating the 8.8 trillion won raised in 2010.