To recap last week, Passage Bio (NASDAQ: PASG) was one of the only stocks to enter the market in late February. The preclinical biotech, that focuses on developing gene therapies, priced its stock in its higher range at $18 per share. The company raised $216 million from 12 million shares and finished up the week +23%. For the first week of March, only one company has announced its plans to debut. That company is GFL Environmental, the North American waste management firm that plans to list both on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange. GFL has already delayed its IPO in 2019, but plans to price on Wednesday, estimating the stock to cost between $20-$21 and offering over 73 million shares.
The IPO market has pretty much cooled off as it enters March, due almost entirely to coronavirus-induced stock market volatility. The week-long decline has made IPO-hopefuls push for delays and bunker down to wait out the virus. Pretty much any company, except biotechs who have been trading very well in the recent market climate, is taking on a great risk entering the market at this time.
However, some anticipated companies have planned for an early March launch, though this was before the late February market drop. Companies that may enter public trading this month include the J.Crew spin-off Madewell, which is a premium denim and other casual fashion retailer that has done well with demographics including millennials. Formally apart of the Nike (NYSE: NKE) show empire, the luxury-leaning shoe maker Cole Haan is also anticipated to be a March IPO. Vontier has also begun to finalize its paperwork, with the mobility infrastructure services company poised to be one of the few $1 billion offerings in 2020. Another IPO that may enter the market is the residential and commercial building manufacturer AZEK, who estimates to raise $500 million.
Nevertheless, two companies that are most likely to enter markets in March if more certainty washes over the stock market are the biotech Imara and the profitable recording label Warner Music. This is due to biotechs seeming to be imperious to this market's volatility and the the record label's profitability setting it apart from 2019's IPO market.