Singapore-based OMS Energy raised US$33.3m from Nasdaq debut
OMS Energy listed 3.7 million shares at US$9 each on May 13 in the IPO. PHOTO: REUTERS
SINGAPORE – Singapore-based OMS Energy Technologies has raised US$33.3 million (S$43.24 million) from its initial public offering (IPO) on New York's Nasdaq exchange.
OMS, which makes surface wellhead systems and pipes used in oil exploration and production, listed 3.7 million shares at US$9 each on May 13 in the IPO. The shares were trading at around US$7.74 on May 15.
The US$9 price valued the company at US$348 million.
The eventual offer size and price were pared from the original intent to list 5.6 million shares at between US$8 and US$10.
The company intends to use the IPO proceeds for research and development, marketing and sales, compliance and governance and working capital.
OMS indirectly owns interest in subsidiaries in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Indonesia.
It has 11 manufacturing facilities scattered across oil and gas service hubs from Asia Pacific to the Middle East and North Africa.
In January 2024, OMS entered into a 10-year supply agreement with Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.
OMS estimates that the agreement, which involves Saudi Aramco buying certain products, will generate revenue of around US$200 million a year.
Saudi Aramco accounted for 71 per cent of OMS's total revenue as at Sept 30, 2024.
OMS made a net profit of US$82.09 million on a turnover of US$163.27 million for the period June 16, 2023 to March 31, 2024, noted its prospectus.
It also said that while Aramco remains a key strategic partner, it is 'actively working to diversify' its customer base.
'Whilst we intend to focus on our principal business activities in the sales of high-quality products for oil drilling and exploration, we also plan to explore opportunities to collaborate with suitable partners in related industries in the South-east Asian region,' noted the prospectus.
Mr How Meng Hock, the firm's executive director, chairman and chief executive, owns 61.78 per cent of OMS Energy following the IPO.
The OMS listing in New York highlights the struggle Singapore has had to attract companies to go public in recent years, with many firms opting to go to the US, drawn by hopes of strong valuations, liquidity and proximity to their target markets.
This prompted the Monetary Authority of Singapore to review of the country's equity markets in a bid to jump-start the ailing bourse.
One proposal is to invest $5 billion in funds focused on the local equity market.
The SGX RegCo has also proposed regulatory changes towards a more disclosure-based regime, a stance investment bank Morgan Stanley sees as 'key positive drivers' for the market.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Meta launches $513 Oakley AI glasses with 3K video recording
The display-free Oakley glasses are one component of the overall Meta AI hardware strategy. PHOTO: META Meta Platforms Inc. is going up-market with its surprise hit smart glasses, rolling out new models with Oakley that are aimed at athletes and include improved video recording. The company on June 20 launched new models based on Oakley's HSTN design, marking the company's first expansion away from Ray-Ban for its display-free glasses. Like the original models, the Oakley versions can make and take phone calls, play music, take pictures and video and use Meta's artificial intelligence to answer questions about the surrounding environment. The new versions, which start at US$399 (S$513) and go up to US$499 for a limited edition model with gold-colored accents, include about double the battery life, video-recording at 3K resolution and water resistance. 'We are increasingly seeing performance use cases with the Ray-Bans like people wearing them on roller coasters, cycling and being around water, so we're trying to lean into that,' says Mr Alex Himel, the company's vice-president in charge of wearables, in an interview. Arriving at its second glasses brand was far from a sure thing. Meta's first glasses, the Ray-Ban Stories, flopped in 2021. But its follow-up version in 2023 was a massive success, giving the social networking giant a real potential hardware stronghold in the artificial intelligence race. 'It was crazy. Popularity caught us by surprise a bit,' Mr Himel said. The Ray-Bans were 'going to be the last display-less pair of glasses. We said we'll take two swings at it, and if it doesn't work we'll go all-in on augmented reality'. Instead, beyond the latest Oakley model, the company has a multi-year road map for the display-less category and is planning a follow-up pair of Oakley glasses based on the Sphera design for later in 2025 , according to people with knowledge of the matter. That pair will be aimed at cyclists and have a centred camera. The model on June 20 has a camera positioned in the upper corner like the Ray-Ban version. The display-free glasses are one component of the overall Meta AI hardware strategy. The company is planning to introduce higher-end glasses with a display to view notifications and the camera view finder later in 202 5, Bloomberg News has reported. In 2027, it aims to roll out its first true augmented reality glasses, which will blend digital apps with the real world. Meta's form-factor has caught on, with several other technology companies working on competitors. Apple Inc. is planning to introduce its first glasses product at the end of 2026, Bloomberg News has reported. That device will operate similarly to the Meta product but better synchronise with the rest of the Apple ecosystem. Inc. also sells glasses, but their current models lack cameras. Mr Himel, who said Meta has sold millions of glasses and has a 'nice, increasing multiple' of purchases on a year-over-year basis each week, attributed the increased popularity to the Ray-Bans improving across a large number of 'small things.' He said the audio quality and microphones started to surpass standalone earbuds, while the camera and AI quality also improved. Still, Mr Himel said battery life remains the 'number one complaint' about the Ray-Ban versions. The new Oakley models can run for 8 hours on a single charge, with the charging case holding 48 hours of juice. 'You should expect a 40 per cent bump with these' he says, attributing the improvement to new battery chemistry and software optimisations – not larger battery packs. Like Ray-Ban, Oakley is owned by EssilorLuxottica SA, which calls Oakley its second most popular brand after Ray-Ban. Mr Himel said Meta will roll out new brands under the EssilorLuxottica portfolio 'as fast as we can. 'We're going to have to move very quickly because in the world of fashion, stuff moves very quickly,' he says. 'The stuff that is a hit right now might not be a year from now. We need to be fast to hit all the brands that we'd like to.' The first Oakley model, becoming available for pre-order on July 11, will be the US$499 limited edition pair. The US$399 versions – which come in grey, black, brown and clear colors – will be released in the coming months. There will be versions with clear, transition and polarised lenses. Like with the Ray-Bans, users can swap the lenses for prescription optics. The glasses will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, according to Meta. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
3 hours ago
- Business Times
US may target Samsung, Hynix, TSMC operations in China: sources
[BENGALURU] The US Department of Commerce is considering revoking authorisations granted in recent years to global chipmakers Samsung, SK Hynix and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), making it more difficult for them to receive US goods and technology at their plants in China, according to sources familiar with the matter. The chances of the United States withdrawing the authorisations are unclear. But with such a move, it would be harder for foreign chipmakers to operate in China, where they produce semiconductors used in a wide range of industries. A White House official said the United States was 'just laying the groundwork' in case the truce reached between the two countries fell apart. But the official expressed confidence that the trade agreement would go forward and that rare earths would flow from China, as agreed. 'There is currently no intention of deploying this tactic,' the official said. 'It's another tool we want in our toolbox in case either this agreement falls through or any other catalyst throws a wrench in bilateral relations.' Shares of US chip equipment makers that supply plants in China fell when The Wall Street Journal first reported the news earlier on Friday (Jun 20). KLA dropped 2.4 per cent, Lam Research fell 1.9 per cent and Applied Materials sank 2 per cent. Shares of Micron, a major competitor to Samsung and SK Hynix in the memory chip sector, rose 1.5 per cent. A TSMC spokesperson declined to comment. Samsung and Hynix did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lam Research, KLA and Applied Materials did not immediately respond, either. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up In October 2022, after the United States placed sweeping restrictions on US chipmaking equipment to China, it gave foreign manufacturers such as Samsung and Hynix letters authorising them to receive goods. In 2023 and 2024, the companies received what is known as Validated End User (VEU) status in order to continue the trade. A company with VEU status is able to receive designated goods from a US company without the supplier obtaining multiple export licenses to ship to them. VEU status enables entities to receive US-controlled products and technologies 'more easily, quickly and reliably', as the Commerce Department website puts it. The VEU authorisations come with conditions, a source familiar with the matter said, including prohibitions on certain equipment and reporting requirements. 'Chipmakers will still be able to operate in China,' a Commerce Department spokesperson said in a statement when asked about the possible revocations. 'The new enforcement mechanisms on chips mirror licensing requirements that apply to other semiconductor companies that export to China and ensure the United States has an equal and reciprocal process.' Industry sources said that if it became more difficult for US semiconductor equipment companies to ship to foreign multinationals, it would only help domestic Chinese competitors. 'It's a gift,' one said. REUTERS

Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
BookTalk: Gelato Messina's Alessandro Palumbo inspired by Anthony Bourdain and Quentin Tarantino
International operations manager Alessandro Palumbo has found new pockets of time to read while travelling for work. PHOTO: GELATO MESSINA Who: Mr Alessandro Palumbo, 28, is the international operations manager of Gelato Messina Singapore. He is 'passionate about great food, travel, culture – and always chasing a good story, whether it is on a page or a plate'. The family-owned Australian brand opened its outlet in Club Street in May to long queues. The outlet offers flavours exclusive to Singapore such as Kaya Toast and Tau Huay. Mr Palumbo is the nephew of Gelato Messina's founder Nick Palumbo. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.