Golden Goose Group SpA, a luxury sneaker brand, is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) in Milan. This IPO is set to become Italy’s largest listing in over a year, providing a boost to Europe’s equity capital markets which have been experiencing an uneven recovery.
Golden Goose plans to raise €100 million ($108 million) by selling new shares, while its owner, private equity firm Permira, intends to sell some of its existing stock. The exact size of the offering has yet to be determined, but the company has announced that at least 25% of its shares will be listed.
According to Bloomberg News, Golden Goose could have a valuation of around €3 billion, including net debt. If this is the case, it would make the IPO the largest in Italy since gambling company Lottomatica SpA’s €599 million sale in May of last year.
Golden Goose, along with buyout giant CVC Capital Partners Plc and Spanish beauty group Puig Brands SA, is moving forward with plans to list in Europe this year. This decision is driven by the stock market’s surge to record highs. IPO volumes declined in 2022 and 2023 as central banks raised interest rates to combat inflation, dampening investor appetite for risk.
However, the market has rebounded, with companies raising nearly $13 billion through IPOs this year, more than double the amount raised during the same period last year. In the US, stock market listings have generated proceeds totaling $17.2 billion this year.
Nevertheless, the recovery has been uneven, as some companies have opted not to go public due to their inability to achieve desired valuations. Just this week, Bloomberg reported that Greyhound bus owner Flix postponed its planned listing in Frankfurt, while battery maker Northvolt AB postponed its Stockholm IPO to next year.
The upcoming Golden Goose IPO could benefit from its association with celebrities. Famous personalities like Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift have been seen wearing the company’s weathered-design shoes. One such example is the Ball Star Wishes sneakers for men, which is priced at $740 on Golden Goose’s official website.
Golden Goose’s decision to enter the market comes at a time when the luxury industry is experiencing a slowdown. Kering SA recently reported an 18% decline in sales for its Gucci brand in the first quarter, primarily due to weak demand in China. Similarly, LVMH, a larger competitor, saw a decrease in organic sales growth for fashion and leather goods, from 18% in the previous year to 2% in the first quarter.