(Yicai Global) Oct. 24 -- A wave of Chinese fintech firms have confirmed plans to go public during the second half of the year, including PPDAI Group Inc. [NASDAQ:PPDF], Hexindai Inc. [NASDAQ:HX] and Qudian.com Inc. [NYSE:QD], which have all filed to list in the US and acquired interim stock codes.

Shenzhen Niiwoo Financial Information Services Co. has also listed in Hong Kong through parent company New Silkroad Culturaltainment Ltd. [HKG:0472].

Many other fintech firms are preparing for initial public offerings, with some already hiring audit teams to conduct fieldwork to verify their pre-listing qualifications.

The increasing number of Chinese fintech companies listing on overseas capital markets has been driven by the development of more explicit and tougher regulations to float in China, an executive at an internet finance platform said. Another driver is the positive trend in stock prices seen this year among companies already listed in the US, such as Yirendai Ltd. [NYSE:YRD] and China Rapid Finance Ltd. [NYSE:XRF]. This indicates that American capital markets recognize the value of business models developed by Chinese fintech firms.

Share prices at Yirendai have increased 15-fold since the enterprise's floatation 18 months ago. Its market cap has increased from USD200 million to USD3.1 billion. Similarly, China Rapid Finance, which listed six months ago, saw its value gain as much as 100 percent in the past month.

The biggest benefit of fintech companies going public is credit enhancement, said Wang Xiaoting, co-founder and chief risk officer at Beijing Jieyue United Information Consulting Co. The entire industry lacks credibility due to erratic growth, but a successful floatation can help improve a company's brand substantially, she said.

Listed firms are required to disclose annual reports, quarterly reports and major events, which can help investors gain a clearer understanding of their operations, Wang said.

A number of Chinese fintech companies will list or have already listed on US exchanges in the second half of this year. Hexindai submitted its IPO details to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Sept. 30, while the SEC disclosed PPDAI's IPO prospectus on Oct. 14. PPDAI is expected to go public as early as late next month.

Qudian listed on the New York Stock Exchange on the evening of Oct. 18, with its shares opening at USD34.35, an increase of 43 percent from its initial offering price of USD24. The firm's shares gained as much as 45 percent in the first two days after its flotation, though shares in most overseas-listed Chinese firms drop during this period.

The SEC disclosed Chinese fintech firm Rong360.com's IPO prospectus on Oct. 20, making it the fourth company from the sector looking to go public on US exchanges in the second half.