Now that the European Union has approved a Brexit extension for the U.K.–whether that becomes April 12 or May 22 will depend on a key vote by members of Parliament–and the U.S. tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports will likely stay on the books as a looming possibility as talks continue, Wall Street investors could be keeping tabs instead on the initial public offering market over the next week or two.
That’s in part due to the strong showing of Levi Strauss & Co.’s IPO on Thursday. Why? A successful IPO suggests resiliency in the equity markets, as well as investor appetite. No company wants to go public if they believe an economic slowdown is on the horizon.
And with on-demand car service firm Lyft slated to test the IPO waters on Friday, how well it does could provide a boost to fashion retailer Revolve and luxury consignment firm The RealReal. Both are said to be toying with the idea of going public.
Revolve in October filed plans for a $100 million IPO, while The RealReal is said to be shopping for bankers. The two aren’t the only ones eying the IPO market. Photo-sharing social media app Pinterest last month filed plans to go public, and there are rumblings that the tech unicorn could become a publicly-traded firm before the summer arrives. African e-commerce start-up Jumia also indicated last week that it intends to go public.
IPO: With the success of the Levi’s IPO on Thursday, all eyes could be on the company’s shares to see if it can stay above $22-a-share trading range of Thursday’s closing price. Some companies get out of the gate with a pop, and then fizzle out a few days later.
At least one banker believes Levi’s has some staying power. Matt Tingler, a banker in the consumer and retail group at Baird, said: “There are signs [that] denim is beginning to experience a resurgence, coincidently, at the cost of athleisure clothing. It also shows confidence in opportunities for western brands in Asia, which is a key focus area for Levi’s. A resurgence in Levi’s will also be an indication of consumers’ interest in heritage brands. Levi’s, much like Champion which has seen exceptionally strong growth, had fallen out of favor for newer, more modern brands…”
Earnings: Most retailers and fashion companies have already posted their latest quarterly results, but there are still a few set to report next week. Accessories firm Francesca’s Holdings Corp. is slated to report on Monday, followed by Shoe Carnival Inc. on Tuesday. Wednesday has PVH Corp., Lululemon Athletica Inc., and Iconix Brand Group Inc. all reporting results. Rounding out the week is Oxford Industries Inc. on Thursday.