Chapter 132: Preparation for the IPO

The Gulfstream G700 touched down at Ninoy Aquino International Airport under a sky streaked with early morning haze.From the window, the sun cast a faint orange shimmer across the hangars and runways, a familiar view that signaled the end of Timothy’s brief reprieve. The cabin lights flickered on as the plane taxied to a halt.

"Welcome back to Manila," Hana said from across the aisle, her tone all business again. The soft, playful voice from Singapore had vanished. In its place was the poised, sharp-tongued executive Timothy had first hired.

He gave a faint smirk. "Barely twelve hours and you’ve switched modes already."

She was scrolling through a holographic display on her tablet. "The IPO team has been waiting since six this morning. We have a full day ahead, valuation, underwriting, dual listing structure. Also, the financial press has been requesting a statement."

"Tell them to wait," Timothy said, loosening his seatbelt. "We speak when the paperwork’s ready, not before."imothy said, his tone calm but commanding. "Let’s begin."

The screens behind him came alive with charts, projections, and valuation summaries. Hana took her place to his right, setting down her tablet.

"Alright," Timothy continued, "where do we stand on final valuation?"

The CFO, Luis Santiago, cleared his throat. "As of this morning’s market comparison, TG Motors’ pre-IPO valuation stands between $86 to $92 billion, based on asset-backed calculations, projected EV sales, and brand value integration from the Sentinel partnership."

"Breakdown?" Timothy asked.

Luis tapped the screen. "$48 billion from manufacturing assets and IP, $22 billion from proprietary battery tech under LithiumX, $12 billion from TG Mobility’s AI platform integration, and the remainder attributed to brand equity and market confidence."

"Confidence?" Timothy repeated, leaning forward.

"Yes, sir," Luis said quickly. "That includes projected investor enthusiasm following your recent semiconductor deal."

"Confidence isn’t a number," Timothy said flatly. "It’s a perception. Make sure it’s backed by something tangible, production volume, logistics capability, and verified demand forecasts."

Luis nodded, sweating slightly. "Understood."

Hana interjected, her voice crisp. "On the listing structure, we have finalized preliminary discussions with both exchanges. The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) will handle the local tranche for domestic investors, while the NASDAQ listing will cater to global capital. Both will occur under a synchronized dual offering."

Timothy turned to her. "And the underwriters?"

"BDO Capital will lead locally, Morgan Stanley globally," Hana replied. "We’ve structured a 70–30 allocation ratio, with 70% of the offering for NASDAQ and the remaining 30% for PSE."

Timothy nodded slowly. "Good. That gives us liquidity in both markets."

She continued, "Projected initial offer price per share is pegged at $47 USD, roughly ₱2,650 on the PSE. Total shares offered: 600 million, targeting a raise of approximately $28.2 billion USD combined."

The room fell silent for a moment. The sheer size of it, the largest IPO in Southeast Asian history, was a number that made even the most seasoned executives pause.

Timothy broke the silence. "Risk factors?"

A senior legal counsel spoke up. "Primary risk remains foreign investor skepticism toward Philippine manufacturing reliability, and the volatility of local energy costs. The second concern is infrastructure, ensuring the logistics chain keeps up with TG’s production scale."

Timothy glanced at Hana, who already had her answer ready.

"We’re addressing both through the construction of new gigafactories domestic and abroad and as for the power, Mr. Guerrero would let you know soon," she said. "Our internal energy roadmap will guarantee supply autonomy by 2029. That will be part of our IPO prospectus under the sustainability and future-proof section."

Hana adjusted her glasses and continued, "We’ve also coordinated with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PSE board for early filings. They’ve expressed enthusiasm, largely due to TG Motors being the first Philippine automotive company with global valuation scale."

Luis added, "We’ve scheduled a preliminary investor roadshow next month, Manila, Singapore, New York, and Dubai."

"Make it Seoul and Tokyo as well," Timothy said. "Our market penetration there is rising, we’ll want strong institutional buyers from Asia to balance U.S. holdings."

"Yes, sir."

By midmorning, the meeting shifted into projections.

"Projected revenue for FY2027 stands at $24.8 billion, with net growth of 41% year-over-year. Primary market drivers: the TG Atlas,, which dominate regional EV markets. Profit margins will improve further once domestic energy cost reductions begin."

"Seriously? What the heck, it’s our first year and we are already rolling that much cash?" Timothy chuckled.

"Yes sir...which is why this IPO is crucial for us to expand."

Timothy looked around the room. "I want every analyst, every journalist, and every investor to see one message: This is not a Filipino company trying to go global. This is a global company that happens to be Filipino."

The statement hit like thunder. A few smiles appeared around the table. Hana hid hers behind her tablet.

"Prepare our documentation for the PSE filing by Monday," Timothy continued. "We’ll need a preliminary draft of the prospectus by the end of the week. I want it clean, transparent, and aggressive. No fluff. No corporate poetry."

"Yes, sir," Hana said.

After the meeting, the crowd dispersed. Hana lingered by the window, overlooking BGC’s skyline.

Timothy approached quietly, two cups of coffee in hand. He handed her one.

"Great job at the meeting."

"I was just doing my job sir," Hana said as she accepted the coffee.

Then, Timothy thought of something.

"See, the TG Tower is just near here right? Why don’t we visit it?" Timothy suggested. "It had been a year since we commissioned it. I want to see the progress of it as I cannot wait for us to leave this building."

"Hmm...it’s a great idea. I am curious too about the development of the TG Towers."

"And so, we shall see it then," Timothy said.