Content about Initial public offering

Chicago -- The retail industry is poised for another year of heavy deal flow. Nearly all retail CFOs (94%) expect merger and acquisition will increase or remain steady in 2013, according to a new survey from BDO USA.

The bullish forecasts follow $324.6 billion in global retail and consumer M&A activity in 2012, which was up 33% over 2011 and the busiest year since 2007, according to Dealogic. A majority of CFOs (68%) expect the U.S. markets to see a majority of deal volume, followed by the Asia-Pacific market (20%) and Latin America market (7%).

Corte Madera, Calif. -- Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. is expected to raise about $120 million from its Initial Public Offering, should it sell the 5.2 million shares at between $22 and $24 each that the retailer said it is expecting to sell.

Restoration Hardware will sell 4.9 million shares in the offering, according to a Reuters report, while selling stockholders will sell the rest.

New York -- A Thursday report by Wall Street Journal said that Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. has filed plans for an initial public offering of up to $150 million in common stock.

The retailer, which this week unveiled its new RH branding, is looking to the IPO to pay down debt. It was acquired in 2008 by Catterton Partners in a $179 million buyout and last month revealed a plan for reorganization on the heels of co-CEO Gary Friedman’s resignation following an internal probe into a relationship with a female employee.

New York -- Five Below successfully completed its initial public offering of 9.6 million shares this week in a move that could see the company eventually grow from its current 200 locations to 2,000.

The Philadelphia-based discount chain targets tweens and teens with a wide range of accessories and other goods, all priced at $5 or below. It is on track to add 50 stores this year, and plans to open 60 locations in 2012.

Philadelphia -- A Wednesday report by Reuters said that discounter Five Below is said to be considering an initial public offering. 

The report, citing unnamed sources, said that the Advent International- and LLR Partners-owned chain has hired underwriters and is in discussions with bankers.

Five Below is in a growth mode and could potentially command a market valuation of over $1 billion.

New York City -- Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. is looking to raise as much as $792.3 million in an initial public offering that could value the company at $3.63 billion.

The luxury brand, which has 169 stores in North America and 34 in Europe and Japan, said in a regulatory filing that it is offering 41.7 million shares on behalf of existing shareholders for $17 to $19 each.

New York City -- Mattress retailer Mattress Firm Holding Corp. expects to raise about $100 million in an initial public offering to pay down its debt, the Associated Press reported.

The company is offering 5.6 million shares, and expects them to price from $17 to $19 each. After expenses the company anticipates net proceeds of about $90 million.

Most of the proceeds will go toward repaying $84.4 million in debt outstanding under a loan.

Mattress Firm and its franchisees run 757 stores in 25 states.

New York — Francesca's Holdings Corp. will price its initial public offering of 10 million shares between $14 and $16 a share, the Houston Business Journal reported. 

The women’s specialty apparel retailer will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol FRAN, the report said.

In March 2011, private equity firm CCMP Capital acquired a controlling interest in Francesca’s, which operates 160 stores. 

New York City -- A Thursday report in the New York Times said that activist investor William A. Ackman is pondering whether or not to raise capital for a new fund through an initial public offering.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the Times said that the head of Pershing Square Capital Management is planning to raise billions of dollars for a closed-end fund that would be listed on an exchange, but that the firm itself would not go public.

Elmsford, N.Y. -- Party City Holdings, parent company of Amscan Holdings, has filed an initial public offering of $350 million of common stock as it raises funds to pay down debt.

It intends to list under the symbol PRTY. Current stockholders are also likely to sell shares alongside Party City in the IPO.

Greensboro, N.C. -- The Fresh Market announced that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed secondary public offering of its common stock.

The shares of common stock to be sold in the offering are expected to be offered by certain of its stockholders. The selling stockholders will receive all of the proceeds from the offering. The company will not receive any proceeds from the offering.