Kenvue, the buyer arm of healthcare big Johnson & Johnson, was valued at $41bn in an upsized preliminary public providing that marked the largest US itemizing in nearly 18 months.
The carved-out firm bought $3.7bn of inventory at a worth of $22 per share — barely above the center of its worth vary, in keeping with an individual aware of the small print. The inventory will start buying and selling on the New York Inventory Alternate on Thursday.
The deal is the most important for the reason that IPO of electrical automobile maker Rivian in November 2021, and alone will greater than double the sum raised in conventional US listings this 12 months.
Kenvue produces over-the-counter medicines and types comparable to Tylenol painkillers, Listerine mouthwash and Aveeno skincare merchandise. It reported income of $15bn and professional forma internet earnings of $1.5bn in 2022.
It additionally produces J&J’s child powder merchandise, which have been on the centre of years of authorized battles over whether or not they induced most cancers, and the brand new firm has already been focused in lawsuits. J&J couldn’t be instantly reached for touch upon the Kenvue providing.
J&J, which can proceed to personal greater than 90 per cent of Kenvue’s shares, has agreed to protect it from any authorized prices associated to gross sales of child powder within the US and Canada. Nevertheless, Kenvue cautioned in its prospectus that it “can not guarantee” buyers that the indemnity from its father or mother could be ample, and additionally it is going through claims associated to gross sales in different nations.
The US IPO market has been mired in considered one of its longest slowdowns in many years since early 2022 due to a mixture of rising rates of interest, unstable inventory markets and pessimistic financial forecasts. Earlier than Wednesday’s deal, simply $2.4bn had been raised by means of conventional IPOs this 12 months, in keeping with Dealogic information.
Kenvue is uncommon amongst IPO candidates in that it’s worthwhile, backed by a big father or mother group, and plans to pay a $1.5bn annual dividend. As such, most bankers don’t count on it to set off a direct surge in additional listings, however the deal is nonetheless being carefully watched throughout Wall Road as a take a look at of investor confidence.
“It’s fairly idiosyncratic, however . . . I believe it’s an excellent signal,” stated a senior government at a financial institution that didn’t work on the deal.
Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Financial institution of America have been lead underwriters on the itemizing.
Inflammatory illness specialist Acelyrin is ready to supply an extra take a look at for the beleaguered listings market within the coming days with the most important biotech IPO since June 2021. It’s trying to increase as much as $477mn at a valuation of as much as $1.6bn.
The biotech sector has been significantly exhausting hit by the IPO freeze, as early-stage firms depend on fairness gross sales to fund lengthy and costly drug developments.