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Aye Finance IPO: Final Day Bidding – Will Institutional Giants Lift the Tide?

Aye Finance IPO: Final Day Bidding – Will Institutional Giants Lift the Tide?

1. Business Snapshot: Lending to the "Missing Middle"

Founded in 1993 and based in Gurugram, Aye Finance is an NBFC designed for the micro-scale MSME segment. They use a proprietary "cluster-based" underwriting model to serve business owners who lack formal documentation.

Marquee Backing: Rare for an NBFC, it is supported by CapitalG (Alphabet's growth fund), Elevation Capital, and British International Investment (BII).

Network: As of September 2025, they operate 586 branches across 21 states and union territories, serving nearly 6 lakh active customers.

2. Final IPO Timelines & Live Details

The window closes today at 5:00 PM IST. Ensure your UPI mandates are approved before the banking cutoff.

Event / DetailStatus / Date
Bidding PeriodFeb 9 – Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026
Price Band₹122 to ₹129 per share
Min. Retail Investment₹14,964 (116 Shares)
Total Issue Size₹1,010 Crore (Fresh: ₹710 Cr
Basis of AllotmentThursday, February 12, 2026
Refunds / CreditFriday, February 13, 2026
Listing DateMonday, February 16, 2026

3. Subscription Update (Day 3 Live Status)

As of midday on the final day, the issue is seeing the typical surge from institutional and large investors:

Retail Portion: Subscribed ~0.47x (Leading the participation from individual investors).

QIB Portion: Currently at ~0.13x (Expected to see massive bids in the final hours from mutual funds).

NII Portion: Subscribed ~0.02x (Muted demand from high-net-worth individuals).

Overall Status: Booked ~16% so far. Institutional coverage is the key factor to watch before the 5 PM close.

4. Financial Health: Rapid Growth vs. Asset Quality

Aye Finance has posted impressive topline growth, though bottom-line margins have softened recently:

Revenue Momentum: Income jumped 40% from ₹1,071 Cr (FY24) to ₹1,505 Cr (FY25).

H1 FY26 Pulse: Reported a net profit of ₹64.6 crore for the 6 months ending Sept 2025.

Asset Quality: Gross NPA (Non-Performing Assets) has risen from 2.5% (FY23) to 4.85% (Sept 2025), reflecting the challenges of micro-lending in the current environment.

5. Grey Market Premium (GMP) Today (Feb 11, 2026)

Current GMP: ₹0 (Flat).

Market Outlook: The "Nil" premium indicates that the market is currently pricing a listing at par (around the issue price of ₹129). This is common for mid-sized NBFCs where long-term fundamentals are more important than short-term "listing pops."

6. Investment Analysis: Pros & Cons

Strengths:

Alphabet & Google Support: High-quality corporate governance and investor pedigree.

Tech-Driven Efficiency: "AyeScore" allows them to maintain a lower cost of acquisition than traditional lenders.

Valuation Advantage: Priced at an adjusted P/B ratio of ~1.3x, which is a 20-30% discount compared to several listed peers.

Risks:

High Attrition: Employee turnover of ~65% is a red flag for a "people-heavy" collections business.

Unsecured Exposure: A large portion of their book is sensitive to local economic shocks.

7. Conclusion: The Final Verdict

Aye Finance is a fundamental bet on the formalization of India's micro-enterprises. While the flat GMP may not excite short-term traders, the reasonable valuation and blue-chip backing make it an interesting "buy and hold" candidate for diversified financial portfolios.