Latham IPO begins trading on Nasdaq

Latham Group Inc. had their initial public offering today. Shares soared 43% on the first day of trading. Latham was able to raise $380 million in their initial public offering priced at the bottom of a marketed range.

The stock was initially priced at $19 per share in its IPO on Thursday, but closed at $27.25 in New York trading on Friday, giving it a market cap of $3.3 billion. The shares were sold by Latham for $19 to $21 each.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Latham’s profit and sales increased as property owners focused on home improvements, such as pools. Latham focused on acquiring Narellan and a 28% stake in Premier Pools & Spas.

In an interview, Chief Executive Officer Scott Rajeski said that he believes Latham will outperform the market, which he expects to rise by 10% per year.

“We felt this was a really good time to get our story out there into the public markets and continue to drive with brand awareness of our company,” Rajeski said.

“We are so excited that we are on this journey as we embark on pushing our brand to the homeowner. We created this unique direct to homeowner model to educate them on why a Latham fiberglass pool is the best pool of choice.” said Scott Rajeski “It’s got great economics, it’s got a lower up front cost than traditional products, and we are single handededly driving this material conversion story of fiberglass pools vs other pool types. It’s got an 18% penetration today in North America today,” continued Rajeski

Last year, Latham earned $16 million in net income on revenue of $403 million in net sales, up from $7.5 million in net income on $318 million in sales the previous year. The IPO proceeds will be used to pay down debt and buy back shares, as well as for general corporate purposes, according to the group, which is headquartered in Latham, New York.

Barclays Plc, Bank of America Corp., Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. led the sale. The stock is traded under the symbol SWIM on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

Featured Photo Credit: Times Union