Francesca Withstands Secondary Offering News Quite Well (FRAN)

Photo of Jon C. Ogg
By Jon C. Ogg Published

Francesca’s Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FRAN) is holding up rather well considering its news and considering that it has been public for less than six-months.  Its lock-up expiration is approaching.  The company owns and operates Francesca’s Collections, Inc., a chain of retail boutiques under the Francesca’’s Collections brand.

Last night came news of a follow-on secondary offering for up to 9 million shares of common stock.  All of the shares are being sold by existing shareholders including “certain members of management and certain affiliates of CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC.”  That means none of the proceeds will end up with the company.

Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Securities are listed as the joint bookrunners of this underwritten offering, and co-managers were listed as Stifel Nicolaus & Company and KeyBanc Capital Markets.  The underwriters were given an overallotment to purchase up to 1.35 million shares as well.

The current share value of the offering comes to roughly $200 million at current prices.  The total market cap was almost $1 billion before the news of the offering hit and the near-4% drop today to $22.12 compares to a post-IPO range of $15.22 to $29.75.

JON C. OGG

Photo of Jon C. Ogg
About the Author Jon C. Ogg →

Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. www.247wallst.com.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

KMX Vol: 7,330,419
GLW Vol: 22,800,969
INTC Vol: 233,719,006
SMCI Vol: 68,465,534
ENPH Vol: 13,978,376

Top Losing Stocks

ACN Vol: 41,744,333
EPAM Vol: 5,636,587
CTSH Vol: 61,311,400
CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
KR Vol: 26,704,230