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Shanghai - Five Chinese companies said Tuesday that they had received permission to raise a combined 2.1bn yuan ($347m) in initial public offerings (IPOs), ending a year-old official freeze on flotations.
In separate statements, the firms announced the nation's stock regulator had given the green light for their share offers, following a suspension of such approvals in November 2012.
The move came after the China Securities Regulatory Commission said last month that IPOs could resume as early as January, under new rules which aim to make the process more market-oriented.
China's regulator has traditionally decided which firms can launch IPOs and when they go to market, instead of underwriters and the companies themselves, though authorities have pledged reform.
Roughly 50 of the more than 760 firms lining up for share offers are expected to list on China's two stock exchanges by the end of January, a regulatory official has said.
In the first batch of five companies, only one will list on Shanghai's main board for blue chips, while four others will target boards aimed at small enterprises and technology firms on the Shenzhen stock exchange in southern China, according to their statements.
Suzhou-based Neway Valve, which will float in Shanghai, aims to raise 839.2m yuan for investment in production facilities, it said.
The firms will probably start roadshows for their IPOs on January 2, the China Business News newspaper reported Tuesday.
Despite the threat of share oversupply impacting an already weak market investors shrugged off the announcements, which had been expected since the market regulator flagged the coming move in late November.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.68% in early afternoon trading on Tuesday while the Shenzhen index was flat.
