Going Public: Fender's IPO Set at $13 to $15
Fender Musical Instruments Corp. -- makers of the Stratocaster, the Telecaster and countless other iconic guitars, amps, effects and more -- has announced that its initial public offering (IPO) will be priced at $13 to $15 per share.
The company, the largest seller of guitars in the U.S., expects to sell 10.7 million shares -- 7.1 million to be sold by Fender and 3.5 million to be sold by Weston Presidio, a private equity firm -- a move that could raise as much as $160.7 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, latimes.com reports.
With 26.4 million shares outstanding after the offering, Fender would be valued at around $395 million. The company hasn’t disclosed a date for the IPO.
Fender, which was founded by Leo Fender in 1946, hopes to take advantage of the “increasing popularity and gradual incorporation of guitar-based music in some large, emerging markets like China and India,” according to the filing.
Last year, Fender started a line of signature guitars for Indian guitarist Ehsaan Noorani. Check out the video below.
The company first filed for an offering of up to $200 million in March. Once the company goes public, Weston Presidio’s share will shrink from 43% to 17.7%.
In its last fiscal year, revenue rose 13% to $700.6 million while profit soared to $19 million, recovering from a net loss of $1.7 million in 2010, latimes.com reports.
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Fender will be listed on Nasdaq as FNDR.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.