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Birkenstock shares debuted on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday as part of the initial public offering (IPO) previously announced by the German sandal maker with ties to luxury goods company LVMH and its founder.
The stock opened at $41 per share, below the $46 offer price determined Tuesday. Its IPO will include some 32.2 million ordinary shares.
The company first officially disclosed its IPO plans back in mid-September, when it submitted a preliminary prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It will use "BIRK" as the ticker for its stock.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIRK | BIRKENSTOCK HOLDING PLC | 51.51 | -0.15 | -0.29% |
Birkenstock label is seen on a sandal. (Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Birkenstock has called L Catterton its majority owner for over two years. Catterton, LVMH and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault’s company Groupe Arnault formed the private equity firm in 2016, per its website.
Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, and Delphine Arnault, Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton, leave after the Spring/Summer 2020 collection show for fashion house Louis Vuitton during Men's Fashion Week in Paris, Franc ( / Reuters Photos)
STEVE JOBS' OLD BIRKENSTOCK SANDALS FETCH OVER $218,000 AT AUCTION
Acquiring that majority stake cost $4.8 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In its prospectus, Birkenstock had said L Catterton-affiliated entities would "control a majority of the combined voting power of our outstanding ordinary shares" post-IPO.
The Journal reported ahead of Birkenstock’s planned IPO that the sandal maker might see an increase in ownership from Arnault, who apparently expressed a desire to potentially do so. FOX Business has reached out to LVMH for comment on the matter.
Sandals in a window display are seen at a Birkenstock store in Berlin. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Arnault has a $191.3 billion personal fortune, with only Tesla CEO Elon Musk having a net worth bigger than him, according to Forbes.
In an SEC filing last week, Birkenstock said Financiere Agache "has indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $325 million of ordinary shares in this offering at the initial public offering price." The firm, described by L Catterton as Arnault’s family investment company, has a pre-existing indirect stake, according to the filing.
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Birkenstock also indicated Alexandre Arnault has received a nomination to serve on the board and is expected to do so post-IPO. He is one of the LVMH CEO’s five children and holds the title of executive vice president of products and communications at Tiffany & Co.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVMUY | LVMH MOËT HENNESSY LOUIS VUITTON SE | 124.77 | +0.77 | +0.62% |
Two other individuals are expected to become directors along with him, according to the filing.
Earlier in October, prior to reportedly picking its IPO pricing, Birkenstock had said it was looking at a $44-$49 range for its stock.
Birkenstock models stand in a retail store of the shoe manufacturer. (Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
LVMH counts Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Tag Heuer, Bulgari and Tiffany & Co. among its numerous brands.
BIRKENSTOCK SHOES IN HOSPITALS, ON RUNWAYS AND IN ‘BARBIE’
Birkenstock has worked with Dior, including in 2022 when its Tokio and Milano shoes got a high-fashion revamp for a runway show. It has teamed up with Valentino and other fashion companies previously, too.
It has said its various popular shoe styles are "for everyone," reporting they can "be found in surgical wards and on fashion runways, in law firms and in schools — and everywhere in between."