Against the market trend! Regional bank stock Central Bancompany (CBC.US) raised $373 million in its IPO and will debut on Nasdaq tonight.

On Wednesday, Central Bancompany (CBC.US) successfully raised $373.33 million through its initial public offering, as turmoil in the private credit market has led investors to reexamine regional banks. The bank is about to enter the capital market. Headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri, the bank issued 17.78 million shares at a price of $21 per share in this IPO, which is at the lower end of the previously announced price range of $21 to $24. This issuance values the company at $5.01 billion. With the US Securities and Exchange Commission resuming operations after the longest government shutdown in history, it is expected that the US IPO window will reopen in December. The previous government shutdown led to a backlog in IPO application reviews, disrupting the busiest fall listing window since 2021. Regulatory tightening, compliance, and rising technology costs have made bank IPOs increasingly rare. Many investors and analysts point out that regional banks competing with large banks through consolidation has become the best path. Large banks have an advantage due to diverse sources of income and widespread geographic presence, while small banks are closely watched for risk exposure in recent corporate bankruptcy events. This has raised doubts about the transparency and complexity of lending standards and structures in the global private credit market worth trillions of dollars. As of the close of the previous trading day, the stock price of Commercial Bancgroup (CBK.US), which went public last month, was only slightly higher than its IPO price. Central Bancompany's balance sheet total assets amount to $19.2 billion, and it manages wealth assets worth $15.4 billion, serving individual and business clients in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Florida. The issuance is jointly underwritten by Morgan Stanley and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. The company will be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange on Thursday under the ticker symbol "CBC."