GCash IPO tipped to energize capital market

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Philstar.com

September 23, 2026 | 2:00pm

MANILA, Philippines — The upcoming initial public offering of GCash’s parent company is being seen as a potential economic catalyst for broader participation.

With Mynt Inc.’s. IPO expected to be the largest, this has the potential to attract foreign direct investments, a much-needed boost to lift the country's economy, with regulators and government officials pointing to its possible impact on trading activity, retail investment and the digital economy.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Francis Lim said he is “fervently hoping” that the GCash IPO will help generate gains for the country’s capital market.

“[We are] fervently hoping that GCash’s IPO will be a catalyst, especially for our capital market,” Lim said.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), meanwhile, has expressed optimism that the landmark listing could boost trading activity and attract more retail investors, particularly as subscriptions to the IPO will be accessible through GStocks, GCash’s stock-trading platform.

PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Monzon said he is “optimistic” that the debut will drive strong market activity ahead of the fourth quarter and result in a significant increase in new retail investors.

“I am optimistic that this debut will drive strong market activity ahead of Q4. We expect to see a significant uptick in new retail investors,” Monzon said in a media interview last week.

Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque also said the wider use of GCash and digital-payment platforms could help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expand their market reach, particularly through e-commerce.

“Companies like GCash and digital payments will really help MSMEs grow, as it will become easy for them to sell their products, especially on e-commerce platforms,” Roque said.

She added that digital payments could make it easier for MSMEs to reach and transact with customers in far-flung areas, allowing small businesses to participate more actively in the digital economy.

The PSE approved Mynt’s listing application on September 18, moving the company closer to what is expected to become one of the largest IPOs in Philippine history.

Ayala Corp. and Globe Telecom Inc., in separate statements, said Mynt received the PSE’s Notice of Approval on September 17 for its listing application covering up to 8.03 billion common shares, with an overallotment option of up to 1.20 billion additional secondary common shares.

The PSE approval came less than two weeks after Mynt received a pre-effective letter from the SEC for its proposed IPO.

Mynt’s planned offering carries a maximum indicative price of P10 per share and could generate gross proceeds of up to P92.32 billion if the overallotment option is fully exercised, potentially making the GCash listing one of the largest IPOs in Philippine history.

The final offer price, however, will be determined through the book-building and price-discovery process, with the public offering scheduled for October 6-12 and the tentative PSE listing slated October 20. (Contributed story)