Hypermarket chain Lenta has narrowed guidance for its initial public offering to $10 to $10.25 per global depositary receipt, two banking sources said Thursday.
The previous guidance for Lenta's London IPO stood at $10 to $11 per GDR. Sources said order books — which closed later Thursday — were covered within the new range.
Lenta is among a number of retail companies hoping to tap into demand from investors for stakes in consumer-oriented businesses in Russia and follows the successful flotation of telecoms firm MegaFon in 2012 and Russian consumer credit firm TCS last year.
The IPO comes as Russia's economy is flagging — growth fell from an average 7 percent a year to just over one percent last year, causing a slowdown in consumer sectors such as car sales. Some of Lenta's rivals have seen growth rates start to slow.
The ruble has also fallen on worries about slowing growth, the tapering of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus program and upheaval in neighboring Ukraine, liming spending activity.
Lenta first set a price range of between $9.5 and $11.5 per GDR on Feb. 14, which implied a market capitalization of between $4.09 billion and $4.95 billion, with the sale of some 19 million shares or 22.1 percent of existing share capital.
Lenta has said TPG, which owns a 49.8 percent stake, will sell some but not all its shares, as will the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which holds 21.5 percent, and Russian bank VTB, which owns 11.7 percent.
The banks advising on Lenta's IPO are JP Morgan Chase & Co., Credit Suisse, UBS, Deutsche Bank and VTB Capital. TPG Capital is acting as a co-manager while Rothschild is financial adviser to Lenta.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
