Bob’s Discount Furniture Inc. began trading on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday after completing an initial public offering that generated $331 million for the home furnishings retailer.
Shares were changing hands at $18.86 as of 12:52 p.m. in New York, up from the IPO price of $17. That price placed the company’s market capitalization at about $2.42 billion based on outstanding shares. Earlier in the session the stock had gained as much as 11% before giving back most of those gains by roughly 1:30 p.m.
The company sold 19.45 million shares in the offering, which was priced at the lower end of its marketed range of $17 to $19. Following the transaction, investment funds and affiliates advised by Bain Capital were expected to control roughly three-quarters of the outstanding common stock.
Headquartered in Manchester, Connecticut, Bob’s operates more than 200 stores across 26 states. In its regulatory filings the company expressed an ambition to grow its footprint to over 500 locations by 2035.
Founded in 1991, Bob’s positions itself in the discount segment of the furniture market by offering merchandise at prices below those of other discount competitors. For the nine months ended September 28, the company reported adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $164 million, alongside comparable sales growth approaching 11% for that period.
The share performance in the debut reflected initial investor interest followed by a pullback that left the stock modestly above the IPO price by early afternoon. The offering and subsequent trading establish a public market valuation while leaving majority ownership in the hands of Bain Capital-advised investors.
Summary: Bob’s Discount Furniture raised $331 million in an IPO and began trading above its $17 offering price, reaching an intraday high near 11% before trimming most gains. The company sold 19.45 million shares at the bottom of its $17 to $19 range, will remain largely controlled by Bain Capital-advised funds, and reported $164 million in adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months through September 28 with nearly 11% comparable sales growth.