China's move to halt Ant IPO could slash fintech giant's value by $140 bn

Ant faces more scrutiny, tougher China regulatory requirements

China’s move to halt Ant Group’s massive stock debut could reduce the fintech giant’s value by as much as $140 billion, according to analysts’ revised estimates.

New regulations that could force Ant to raise more capital to back lending and seek national licenses to operate across the country may reduce the firm’s valuation by about half, according to estimates from Morningstar Inc. and other firms. The regulatory details are preliminary and could be subject to change.

If Ant’s $280 billion pre-IPO valuation is halved, it would essentially mean the company is worth less than what it was two years ago when it