Shares in Bloks Group, a maker of Transformers and other toy figurines, as much as doubled on their Hong Kong debut on Friday, making a billionaire of their founder and underlining the surge in ‘kidult’ culture despite falling birth rates in the world’s second-largest economy.

HONG KONG – Shares of Bloks Group, the popular Chinese maker of Ultraman and Transformers figurines, will begin trading in Hong Kong on Jan 10 after its US$215 million initial public offering drew overwhelming demand from individual investors.

Hong Kong's long-dormant animal spirits have found a fun niche in an otherwise gloomy market. Shares in Chinese toymaker Bloks surged 82% on their Friday debut, thanks to overwhelming demand in the city.

Demand from Hong Kong retail investors was 6,000 times more than the amount of shares allocated to them, the second highest on record Shares of Chinese toymaker Bloks Group surged as much as 82 per cent in their Hong Kong market debut after its initial public offering (IPO) attracted huge demand from retail and institutional investors.