Back in 1998 the Japanese telecommunications company, NTT DoCoMo, made an offering to investors worth ¥2.1 trillion ($19.1 billion), and it is a measure of Japan's economic fortunes that, in the intervening years, no company has come close to surpassing that offering. But investors will at least be cheered by news that Electric Power Development, the Tokyo-based energy wholesaler, looks set for its own IPO at a value somewhere between ¥347 billion and ¥375 billion. This would make it the largest IPO in Japan since NTT DoCoMo's monster offering in 1998.
The offering has been sparked by a decision from the Japanese government to sell its 83% stake in the company and has fuelled speculation surrounding falling revenues at Japan's fifth largest energy producer. The remaining 17% stake is owned by a number of power utilities in Japan. Nomura Holdings and UBS will be managing the deal.