OTLY starts investing on Nasdaq

Oatly shares finished the day up extra than 18% just after the firm’s community market place debut Thursday.

The stock’s opening trade was $22.12 just in advance of noon, supplying it a market benefit of $13.1 billion and placing shares about 30% over the initial general public featuring value. Shares misplaced some of individuals gains in the minutes subsequent the first trade.

On Wednesday night, the Swedish corporation priced its U.S. original community supplying at $17 per share, at the best of its indicated range, boosting $1.4 billion. At that selling price, the implied valuation is $10 billion, perfectly over the existing industry worth of one more firm that specializes in earning substitutes for animal solutions, Outside of Meat. The oat-milk maker is trading on the Nasdaq beneath the inventory ticker “OTLY.”

Oatly produced its U.S. debut in coffee stores five many years ago, developing a potent adhering to for its oat-primarily based milk substitute. The enterprise focused on obtaining baristas and coffee drinkers hooked on oat milk’s creamy texture and means to froth just before pushing into grocery shops. Due to the fact then, oat milk income have surged, extra than tripling in 2020, primarily based on Nielsen knowledge. Nonetheless, almond milk retains on to the best location for dairy substitutes.

Oatly has also been increasing its portfolio, branching out into oat-primarily based ice product and yogurt.

In 2020, Oatly’s income a lot more than doubled, achieving $421.4 million. Meals company accounted for a quarter of sales, and merchants accounted for the relaxation. The company noted a net decline of $60.36 million as it focused on getting into new marketplaces, constructing model awareness and expanding manufacturing.

“I you should not see anyone else having that management place the way we are,” CEO Toni Petersson mentioned on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “We are seriously severe and ambitious about what we’re going to do listed here.”

Oprah, Natalie Portman and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz are among the the big names who have invested in Oatly. Point out-backed China Means took a the vast majority stake in the firm in 2016 by way of a joint venture with Belgium’s Verlinvest, and Blackstone invested $200 million in the organization final yr, supplying the business a stake of about 10%.

Oatly stated in regulatory filings that it designs to use the IPO proceeds for operating money, to fund incremental advancement and other basic corporate applications.