The recent listing of outdoor clothing retailer Kathmandu on the NZX and ASX was advised by two of Australia’s top-tier firms, Freehills and Clayton Utz. The float was the first IPO for New Zealand in nearly two years.
Clayton advised Kathmandu on the deal, while Freehills acted as Australian legal counsel to joint lead managers Goldman Sachs JBWere and Macquarie Capital Advisers. The listing raised A$340m with part of the funds being used to acquire the underlying Kathmandu business from its existing owners, Goldman Sachs JBWere Principal Investment Area, and Quadrant Private Equity.
Kathmandu’s successful early listing (it was scheduled for Wednesday) is expected to encourage other New Zealand companies to go public. Head of market products for the NZX, Geoff Brown, said companies were “frenetic” in their attempts to get their IPOs in the pipeline.
Biotech company BioVittoria is expected to complete its IPO in early December, while South Island dairy company Synlait has also announced plans for a pre-Christmas public offering. Property funds investment business DNZ has also joined the party, saying it expects to raise up to NZ$800m before the end of the calendar year.
Other companies that are expected to list are private equity-owned Hirepool and REDgroup, as well as finance company South Canterbury.
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