SHANGRAO, China, Sep.21, 2020 -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar”) (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that its board of directors has approved a strategic plan to access China’s capital markets through its principal operating subsidiary Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. (“Jiangxi Jinko”).
JinkoSolar is considering the opportunity to list Jiangxi Jinko, after certain intragroup restructuring, on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Sci-Tech innovation board (the “STAR Market”), an exchange intended to support innovative companies in China, within the next three years.
To qualify Jiangxi Jinko for a STAR Market listing and to raise additional capital to support its continuous expansion, the board has also approved an equity financing of Jiangxi Jinko, under which certain China-based reputable third-party investors, JinkoSolar’s founders, Xiande Li, Kangping Chen and Xianhua Li, and senior management personnel have agreed to invest an aggregate of RMB 3.1 billion (approximately US$ 458 million) into Jiangxi Jinko for an aggregate of 26.7% equity interest in Jiangxi Jinko. The transaction has been negotiated at arm’s length at a pre-money valuation of Jiangxi Jinko’s equity value of RMB 8.5 billion (approximately US$1.26 billion), which is 15.6% higher than JinkoSolar’s market capitalization on September 18, 2020, and 45.4% higher than JinkoSolar’s average market capitalization for the 90 days preceding September 18, 2020. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed by the end of October 2020.
Mr. Kangping Chen, Chief Executive Officer of JinkoSolar, commented, “Listing Jiangxi Jinko on the STAR Market will enable it to access a new source of growth capital, which we believe will ultimately strengthen our leading position in the solar module industry and support our continuous growth over the long run. We believe the listings of JinkoSolar on the New York Stock Exchange and Jiangxi Jinko on the STAR Market will raise our profile with investors both in China and globally and provide us with additional opportunities to grow in the future.”
Whether Jiangxi Jinko is able to be successfully listed on the STAR Market, the timing of the listing, and its valuation upon listing will depend on various factors, including but not limited to capital market conditions in China and globally, the regulatory environment for listed securities, Jiangxi Jinko’s business and financial performance and its fulfillment of the listing requirements in China.
Legal Statement
Jinko Solar was listed on the STAR Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2022, and JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., its indirect controlling shareholder, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2010.
