Bridge Bank IPO Sells Out in Less Than 24 Hours

Bridge Bank Group Côte d’Ivoire’s initial public offering sold out in less than 24 hours, with investor orders covering all 10 million shares available before the end of the first subscription day.

The offer opened on July 20 and was scheduled to run until August 6, 2026, with an option to close early once all shares had been subscribed.

The speed of the sellout points to strong demand for new listings on the BRVM and for access to one of Côte d’Ivoire’s growing banks.

Bridge Group West Africa, the bank’s majority shareholder, offered a 20% stake at a fixed price of 6,750 FCFA per share. The transaction was valued at 67.5 billion FCFA, or about $118 million, and implied a total market value of 337.5 billion FCFA.

What happens next?

The shares are expected to list on the BRVM, the regional stock exchange serving the 8 member states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.

Demand for the offer followed several years of growth at Bridge Bank. 

The lender reported net banking income of 67.8 billion FCFA in 2025 and net profit of 27.2 billion FCFA. Total assets reached 1.427 trillion FCFA, while return on equity stood near 28%.

The bank also entered 2026 in growth mode. 

In the first quarter, net banking income rose 23% from a year earlier to 16 billion FCFA, while net profit increased 48% to 8 billion FCFA.

At the offer price, Bridge Bank was valued at about 12.4x 2025 earnings, 5x net banking income and 3.2x book value. 

Investors allocated shares will be entitled to dividends linked to the 2026 financial year, subject to approval and capital requirements.

The sellout does not guarantee gains after listing. 

The stock’s performance will depend on earnings growth, loan quality, dividend payments, investor demand and trading liquidity. 

The allocation process will also determine how many shares each investor receives, since demand may have exceeded the number available.

The transaction is also an offer for sale rather than an issue of new shares. The proceeds will go to Bridge Group West Africa, the selling shareholder, rather than directly to Bridge Bank.

For investors, the deal also shows why access matters.

Many public offerings in West Africa have historically required investors to work through traditional market channels, complete offline processes and manage subscriptions across several institutions. 

Daba helps reduce those barriers by giving eligible investors a digital route to discover offers, complete account verification, fund their accounts and submit investment requests from one platform.

That access is especially important when an offer closes faster than expected. 

Investors who already have verified and funded Daba accounts are better positioned to act when new IPOs become available.

Bridge Bank’s sellout shows that demand for African public-market opportunities is growing. 

It also shows that faster, simpler access can help more people move from following major listings to participating in them.