By Christine Chen and Scott Murdoch
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's securities regulator said on Tuesday it would trial changes to speed up initial public offerings that are at a decade low by implementing recommendations from earlier reviews and allowing faster access for retail investors.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said the changes could shave as much as one week off the typical 20-week IPO process and reduce deal execution risk.
The trial will begin on Tuesday and last for two years, the regulator said.
"Creating a more streamlined IPO process underscores our commitment to ensuring our public markets remain attractive to companies and investors," ASIC Chairman Joe Longo said in a statement.
Longo said the funds raised through IPOs were at the lowest level in more than a decade, with only A$4.2 billion ($2.74 billion) raised last year compared to A$22.9 billion in 2014.
ASIC's new measures come just days after Virgin Australia launched a closely watched A$685 million IPO that attracted strong investor demand.
ASIC said the changes applied to companies seeking to list on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) through "fast-track" status, with a projected market capitalisation above A$100 million and no ASX-imposed escrow.
Most Australian IPOs are carried out through a front-end book-building process, which means the price is set and investor bids are taken ahead of the prospectus being reviewed and approved by Australian regulators.
ASIC and the ASX have been under pressure to speed up the IPO vetting process, to reduce the time investors are exposed to market fluctuations while a prospectus is under review.
Under the planned changes, companies would be able to submit a confidential prospectus or product disclosure statement at least 14 days before formal lodgement for ASIC review.
ASIC said it would also adopt a "no action" position allowing eligible companies to begin accepting retail investor applications during the standard seven-day exposure period.
Typically, retail investor orders are taken after the prospectus becomes public following the regulator's reviews.
The trial was also a part of a broader review of regulatory settings around IPOs, ASIC said.
"While we do not see regulatory settings as the silver bullet, we have received lots of ideas and are considering further regulatory adjustments to support a strong and well-functioning market," Longo said.
($1 = 1.5354 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Christine Chen and Scott Murdoch; Editing by Jamie Freed)
