IPO Lookout: A Busy Week Brings the Biggest IPO Since Facebook

This should be a big week for initial public offerings, with 23 new issues on the docket, including Synchrony Financial SYF, the biggest IPO since Facebook FB.

Founded in 1932, Synchrony Financial is one of the largest consumer credit lenders in the United States. Through a network of retailers, merchants and manufacturers, Synchrony operates across more than 329,000 locations in the United States and Canada.

During 2013, the company financed more than $93.9 billion of purchase volume. As of the end of March this year, the average customer maintained a FICO score of 710, which includes a compilation of consumers and businesses.

Its customers include nationally recognized retailers such as Lowe’s LOW, Walmart WMT and Amazon AMZN.

Synchrony believes its strategic relationships with retailers and manufacturers will benefit the company's long-term profitability. According to its S-1 filing, “Our partner-centric business model has been successful because it aligns our interests with those of our partners.” 

Related: Is Transocean Partners The Yield-Producing IPO To Buy?

Part of its value proposition is to create sticky customers. Sticky customers are loyal, repeat buyers. Businesses create loyal consumers by offering discounts and special offers to holders of store-specific cards. Banana Republic GPS will frequently offer 10 percent discounts to shoppers who have a Banana card. Upon checkout at Amazon, how often does it prompt a sign-up for Amazon Prime?

Credit-driven businesses like Synchrony know that loyal customers are good customers, and Synchrony seeks to create mutually beneficial relationships with its partners by doing this. 

“Our partners promote our credit products because they generate increased sales and strengthen customer loyalty," it pointed out in that recent S-1 filing. "Our customers benefit from instant access to credit, discounts, and promotional offers.”

Synchrony notes that it differentiates itself from its competitors through “omni-channel (in-store, online, and mobile) technology and marketing capabilities, which allow us to offer and deliver our credit products instantly to customers across multiple channels.”

From 2011 to 2013, the company experienced 39.5 percent growth in online and mobile sales, growing by $3 billion from $7.6 billion to $10.6 billion.

Net earnings as of March 31, 2014 were $558 million, compared to $359 the same quarter one year ago. If its current pace continues through the year, Synchrony will earn more than the $2.1 billion it realized in 2012 -- and enjoy its best year since 2009.

Use of proceeds from the offering will reportedly increase the company’s liquidity position. In conjunction with the IPO, Synchrony will pursue an additional $3 billion through an unsecured debt offering, $8 billion in a new bank term loan and $1.5 billion term loan from GE Capital Corporation. 

The funds will then repay existing $8.1 billion in debt to GE Capital Corporation, and the remaining $7.4 billion will be to increase the firm’s capital.

Synchrony seeks to sell 125 million shares between $23 and $26. If the issue prices at the midpoint of the range, it will bring in more than $3 billion in proceeds, resulting in a market capitalization of $20 billion.

Underwriters leading the offering are Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank.

Other IPOs For The Week

Tuesday, July 29

·   Marinus Pharmaceuticals MRNS: Four million shares, expected to price between $12 and $14, through Stifel and JMP Securities.

·   ContraFect CFRX: 5.5 million shares expected to price between $5 and $6, through Maxim.

Wednesday, July 30

·   Lantheus LNTH: 9.26 million shares, expected to price between $12 and $15, through Citi and Jefferies.

·   Westlake Chemical Partners WKLP: 11.25 million shares, expected to price between $19 and $21, through Barclays and UBS.

Thursday, July 31

·   Avalanche Biotechnologies AAVL: 5.4 million shares, expected to price between $13 and $15, through Jefferies, Cowen & Co and Piper Jaffray.

·   Catalent CTLT: 42.5 million shares expect to price between $19 and $21, through Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan.

·   HealthEquity HQY: 9.1 million shares, expected to price between $10 and $12, through J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo.

·   Macrocure MCUR: 5.35 million shares, expected to price between $13 and $15, through Credit Suisse and Jefferies.

·   Mapi-Pharma MAPI: 2.7 million shares, expected to price between $13 and $1,5 through Aegis.

·   Synchrony Financial SYF: 125 million shares, expected to price between $23 and $26, through Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank.

·   Tobira Therapeutics TBRA: 4.6 million shares expect to price between $12 and $14 through BMO, JMP securities and Oppenheimer.

·   Transocean Partners RIGP: 17.5 million shares, expected to price between $19 and $21, through Morgan Stanley and Barclays.

·   Vascular Biogenics VBLX: 5.4 million shares, expected to price between $13 and $15, through Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo.

Friday, August 1

·   Auris Medical Holding EARS: 6.9 million shares, expected to price between $10 and $12, through Jefferies and Leerink.

·   Bio Blast Pharma ORPN: 3.3 million shares, expected to price between $11 and $13, through Oppenheimer and Roth Capital.

·   FCB Financial Holdings FCB: 8.7 million shares, expected to price between $24 and $27, through Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

·   Loxo Oncology LOXO: 4.4 million shares, expected to price between $12 and $14, through Cowen and Stifel.

·   Mobileye NV MBLY: 27.75 million shares, expected to price between $17 and $19, through Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

·   SIRVA SRVA: 11.6 million shares, expected to price between $15 and $17, through Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and J.P. Morgan.

·   VTTI Energy Partners, LP VTTI: 17.5 million shares, expected to price between $19 and $21, through Citigroup and J.P. Morgan.

Sometime This Week

·   Zosano Pharma ZSAN: 6.4 million shares, expected to price between $10 and $12, through Wedbush.

·   GWG Holdings GWGH: 1.6 million shares, expected to price between $11.50 and $13.50, through MLV.

·   Spark Energy SPKE: 3 million shares, expected to price between $19 and $21, through Baird and Stifel.

Disclosure: The author holds no positions in the mentioned securities at the time of this writing