Shein shares drop to lowest since IPO amid ‘underperform’ rating, contact-lens recall

Jefferies says Shein’s ‘low-cost parcels, Guangdong’s supplier density, and supplier-funded experimentation’ will be more expensive

Shein Global Holdings saw its shares plummet to their lowest level since listing two weeks ago, falling as much as 10 per cent in Hong Kong trading on Monday, slammed by an “underperform” rating from Jefferies and product safety recalls in Australia and New Zealand.

Shein closed down 9 per cent to HK$36.40 on Monday, the lowest since its September 1 debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The high-profile stock has been on a downward spiral and is now 25 per cent lower than its initial public offering price of HK$48.56.

The latest drop came a day after Jefferies initiated its research on the fast-fashion giant with an “underperform” rating, with a target price of HK$26, implying it has further room to fall.

The company’s competitive moat was in its “industrialised newness” that feeds customers new items at a fast speed, but the advantages of “low-cost parcels, Guangdong’s supplier density, and supplier-funded experimentation” would become more expensive, Jefferies equity analysts including John Chou said in a Sunday report.