With five companies scheduled to make their market debuts next week, it appears the market is already well-positioned for a substantial recovery in IPO activity in 2010.
Two of the five offerings are Chinese ADRs: China Hydroelectric (CHC), a small hydropower plant operator, and Andatee China Marine Fuel Services (AMCF), which provides blended marine fuel oil for cargo and fishing vessels. China Hydroelectric previously expected to offer 3.1 million ADSs at a range of $15-$17 per share; it now plans to offer 3.1 million units, with each unit consisting of one ADS (worth three ordinary shares) and one warrant entitling its holder to purchase three ordinary shares for $15. Andatee China is offering 2.5 million ADSs at a range of $6-$8 and is expected to price on Thursday, Jan. 21.
The remaining three deals are also expected to price on Thursday. Symetra Financial (SYA) is a Bellevue, WA-based diversified life insurance company that offers annuities, employee benefits, life insurance and retirement plans. Owned by Berkshire Hathaway and White Mountains Insurance Group (neither of which is selling on the offering), Symetra plans to offer 27 million shares at a range of $12-$14. The company booked almost $1.3 billion in sales in the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2009, up 15% from the year ago period.
Terreno Realty (TRNO) is a newly organized REIT that focuses on industrial real estate in six coastal US markets: Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami and Washington D.C. Terreno is led by Blake Baird and Mike Coke, both of whom previously worked at AMB Property Corporation, a publicly listed industrial REIT, and led it to outperform its industrial peers. The company plans to raise $300 million by offering 15 million shares at $20 each.
In a smaller deal, Cellu Tissue Holdings (CLU), a North American producer of private label tissue products, will offer 7.8 million shares at a range of $15-$17. The company is sponsored by Boston-backed private equity firm Weston Presidio and plans to use net proceeds to pay $29 million in outstanding debt, a portion of which is related to its acquisition of APF.
Upcoming IPOs scheduled for the week of Jan. 25 also include two Chinese ADRs (Century 21 franchise IFM Investments (CTC) and silicon provider Daqo New Energy (DQ)), as well as adult online social networking company Friendfinder Networks (FFN). Given that four of the eight deals on the calendar are China-based, we can expect to see a continuation of last year's trend of an emergence of US-listed China IPOs. For further coverage on 2010 IPO trends, a live panel discussion can be found at IPOs in 2010: The Great Thaw?.
