Italian luxury yachtmaker Ferretti SpA is seeking Hong Kong regulatory approval for its planned Milan share sale, in what’s set to be the first-ever dual listing between the two cities, people with knowledge of the matter said.
(Bloomberg) — Italian luxury yachtmaker Ferretti SpA is seeking Hong Kong regulatory approval for its planned Milan share sale, in what’s set to be the first-ever dual listing between the two cities, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Ferretti, which floated in Hong Kong last year, is expecting a decision from authorities in the Asian financial center in the next few weeks, the people said. It’s considering listing in Milan as soon as the second quarter, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.
The company has been considering an offering of around €300 million ($325 million) to ensure there’s enough liquidity for Italian investors, though it hasn’t finalized the size of the deal, the people said. Ferretti management have been informally gauging demand for the Milan share sale since late last year, the people said.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and UniCredit SpA are leading Ferretti’s planned Milan offering as joint global coordinators, the people said.
Ferretti’s Hong Kong IPO last year raised $257 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Prada SpA, the Milanese maker of luxury clothing, is similarly considering a homecoming listing more than a decade after doing so in Hong Kong, potentially providing fresh life to the Italian IPO market.
China’s Shandong Heavy Industry Group Co. owns a controlling stake in Ferretti, while the founding family of Italian sports carmaker Ferrari NV is also an investor.
Spokespeople for Ferretti, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, UniCredit and bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. declined to comment. Representatives for Shandong Heavy as well as Hong Kong’s market regulator, the Securities and Futures Commission, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment outside regular business hours.
Ferretti operates six shipyards in Italy and sells yachts to customers in more than 80 countries, according to its website. The company’s brands including Ferretti Yachts, Itama, Wally and Riva, made famous by celebrity owners including George Clooney.
(Updates with no response from Ferretti, banks in seventh paragraph)
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