SIMPLY PUT: Why investing in SME IPOs should not be on top of your adventure to-do list!

Missing some action, adrenaline rush, and thrill in your life? Are the good old, albeit mundane money investment avenues like mutual funds and fixed deposits not making the cut for you? Want to experience a heart-pounding, financial rollercoaster that will constantly keep you and your portfolio on tenterhooks?

Well then, welcome to the world of initial public offers (IPOs), especially those brought to you by SMEs, or small and medium enterprises.

Truth be told, SME IPOs have been all over the bourses this year. So far, 2024 has seen 206 SMEs debuting on both BSE and NSE, out of which 146 listed in gains and 46 listed in losses. Odds seem good, right?

In contrast, the year has only seen 63 IPOs from the elder brother i.e. mainboard, only 48 of which managed to post any listing gains. And getting an allotment has also been a major uncertainty, given the unusually high demand this year.

So, what's an SME IPO, you ask?

Think of a mainboard company as Shah Rukh or Salman Khan—well-established, financially stable, strong legacy of profitability, and fairly well-known.

On the other hand, SMEs are your Prateek Gandhi (Harshad Mehta, Scam 1992), Siddhant Chaturvedi (MC Sher, Gully Boy) or Avinash Tiwary (Majnu, Laila Majnu). While they are doing super well, they are yet to make it big like the Khans.

They’re currently underdogs, lesser known, but who knows? They can be the next big thing in the future!

And SME IPOs are getting a stellar reception. In 2023, 182 such IPOs had raised a substantial Rs 4,967 crore. In 2024, more than 200 companies have already raised over Rs 7,500 crore, and we have four months to go. This, with one quarter of the year still remaining.


But what does it take for a company to be classified as a small enterprise? The company has to have an annual turnover/income of up to Rs 50 crore, and for a medium enterprise to be called so, its annual income has to be up to Rs 250 crore.

When such companies go public, in a bid to raise funds from investors and expand their operations, they launch an IPO, but not on the main exchange, but separately, on NSE’s Emerge and BSE’s SME platform. As of September 2024, NSE Emerge has 147 listed participants, while BSE SME has 155 market makers.

Mounting an SME’s IPO is comparatively less stringent than their mainboard counterparts, as far as regulations are concerned since their DRHPs (draft red herring prospectus) are not filed with SEBI.

So, wouldn’t a lenient treatment make them inherently riskier? Why are they so appealing, you ask?

Delhi firm with just 8 employees seeks ₹12 crore via IPO, gets ₹4,700 crore worth of investor applications!

Well, for one, some of them have delivered exceptional returns—we’re talking 100%, 200%. Consider this—Owais Metal and Mineral Processing, which launched its IPO in February this year, delivered a whopping listing gain of 201%. Another SME, Maxposure, whose IPO was out in January 2024, had earned its investors listing gains worth 317.40%!

Apparently, higher risks also mean higher returns, and also super high investment. Most SME IPOs need a minimum investment of Rs 1,00,000 or more, as opposed to mainboard IPOs, where you can buy one lot of shares for anywhere between Rs 14,000-15,000. Even the minimum trading lot size for SME shares is about 10,000.

In short, you’d have to potentially empty your pockets to invest in an SME IPO. And still, there’s no guarantee that the listing will fill your wallets. For all you know, your pockets before and after the IPO is listed might stay the same - EMPTY!

There's also the question of whether or not these SMEs are able to maintain their listing day mojo, or do they just fizzle out thereafter? Data from Prime Database highlights more instances of the latter. As of August 2024, about 166 SME IPOs had made it to the exchanges. Around 72 of them, or close to 50%, could not sustain their momentum going ahead, and were trading below their listing day prices.

Consider this. The post listing gains of Medicamen Organics, whose IPO came out in June 2024, earned its investors massive listing gains of over 300%, by listing at Rs 137.85, significantly higher than its price issue price, which was set between Rs 32-34. But as of October 1, 2024, the stock was trading at Rs 64.2. Talk about falls.

Additionally, risks of pump-and-dump, and illiquidity, among others makes SME IPOs dangerous

See, you're largely venturing into unknown, pitch-dark territories, without much light to guide you. For starters, SME IPOs face less scrutiny from market watchdog SEBI. This also means they are able to list quickly, just 3-4 months. On the other hand, mainboard IPOs can take upto a year before they are cleared for listing.

Also, there is far less information and disclosures available about their financials, fundamentals and performance to investors for making an informed decision, as compared to mainboard stocks.

Then there’s the issue of illiquidity. Once purchased, you might find it hard to sell off your SME stocks, since they are not traded as frequently in the market, which means lower liquidity.

Trivesh D, COO, Tradejini explains that liquidity is a major concern for such stocks. “These stocks typically have a smaller free float, and are traded in lots, which can lead to volatility and sharp price swings. This means it can be challenging for investors to buy or sell shares without significantly impacting prices. Additionally, speculative trading practices, like 'pump-and-dump' schemes, can inflate stock prices, leaving retail investors vulnerable to sudden drops”.

Recently, SME IPOs have gained notoriety for price manipulation via showing fictitious sales and revenue in their books of accounts, selling of promoter holdings at inflated prices, and being the facade for many infamous pump and dump schemes. This is where select people create frenzy, or mass euphoria over a particular stock or company, causing its prices to soar, and then dumping them, or selling their shares at this massive price to make a killing!

Infact, it's not just the promoters, but also the investment banks floating these IPOs. At present, SEBI is investigating around 6 investment banks which have allegedly charged SMEs a staggering 15% of funds raised via IPOs as fee, as opposed to the standard 1-3%.

In March 2024, SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch had also highlighted witnessing signs of manipulation in the SME space.

“We do see signs of manipulation in the SME segment. We are able to see certain patterns.” Buch had observed back then.

Adds Kresha Gupta, Founder & Director, StepTrade Share Services, “Investing in SME IPO comes with significant risks, despite their impressive returns in recent years. Limited participation from institutional investors and public in some SME IPOs also mean that those companies may lack the support and stability that comes with larger-scale investments”

“Additionally, many SMEs may not have strong fundamentals to justify their valuations. High P/E ratios can be misleading, and while some IPOs have delivered impressive returns, they often come with significant volatility, continues D of Tradejini.

So, should I stay away?

Yes, and No. Yes, if you don't want to do your homework of researching the company thoroughly beforehand. Anand K. Rathi, Co-Founder of MIRA Money suggests asking a couple of questions before investing your hard earned money:

• What is the company's financial performance over the past 3-4 years?
• What is the company's governance structure?
• Is the financial success driven by the IPO, or is it a result of consistent performance?
• Does the company have what it takes to scale its operations to the next level?
• Are the company’s promoters trustworthy, capable and experienced?
• What is the level of participation by large, institutional investors?

But staying away completely? Not necessary. Gupta adds that retail investors, in particular, should avoid viewing SME IPOs as quick money-makers based on their short-term performance, as this can certainly lead to poor investment decisions. “To mitigate risks, investors should always focus on long-term fundamentals rather than just short-term price movements. Key indicators include the participation of institutional investors like DIIs and FIIs. This often signals confidence in the stock”, she continues.

A red flag you should look out for is if a company is only offering OFS, or Offer for Sale. This can indicate early investors looking to exit, potentially signaling weaker future growth.

That's why it is better to look for companies which are raising capital for expansion purposes. This is a sign of healthy business growth prospects and improving fundamentals.

In conclusion, backing the underdog, or SMEs, is not a bad proposition, but not without its risks. Investing in SME IPOs is like riding a unicorn—but you don't know whether you're riding it to rags or riches! So, take your pick.