South Korean retailer CJ Olive Young to raise US$1 billion in local IPO

South Korean health and beauty chain CJ Olive Young is looking to raise around US$1 billion in an initial public offering, as the company seeks to tap a booming market for new listings.

The listing, which two sources aware of the matter say is set to take place early next year, comes as Korean IPOs have raised $21.4 billion so far this year, almost seven times the amount raised a year earlier, according to Refinitiv data.

CJ Olive Young has appointed Mirae Asset Securities and Morgan Stanley as the main underwriters on the transaction while KB Securities and Credit Suisse will act as co-underwriters, a spokesperson told Reuters.

A $1 billion fundraising, slated for early next year, would be double the amount the company was expected to raise, according to some bankers.

Mirae Asset Securities, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley declined to comment to Reuters. KB Securities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CJ Olive Young has about 1200 stores across South Korea, and delivers its products through a global distribution platform to 150 countries, according to its website.

It reported an operating profit of $84.4 million last year, the company’s filing showed. The largest shareholder is CJ Corp with a 55.24-per-cent stake as of December.

So far this year, 92 companies have listed in Korea compared with 59 last year, driven by robust retail demand, Refinitiv data shows.

E-commerce firm Coupang Inc raised $4.5 billion when it was listed in New York in March, while video-game developer Krafton Inc raised $3.7 billion in its July listing in Seoul.