The choice between PIPE and SEO in China

China's private investment in public equity (PIPE) market has exceeded the aggregate proceeds raised by its seasoned equity offering (SEO) market. Taking into account the institutional and regulatory backgrounds of China's secondary equity markets, this paper examines how listed firms choose between PIPE and SEO. Firms with both options tend to be induced by the greater flexibility in its equity offering mechanism to choose PIPE over SEO, particularly when stock price volatility is high or the market is performing poorly. SEO issuers are more likely to time the stock market. Post issuance abnormal returns, in both short- and long-run tend to be higher for PIPE than for SEO issuers.