Dec 8 (Reuters) – Tax advisory firm Andersen Group said on Monday it was targeting a valuation of up to $1.75 billion in its initial public offering in the United States, as companies race to list before the window for fresh listings closes for the year.
The San Francisco, California-based company is seeking to raise up to $176 million by offering 11 million shares priced between $14 and $16 apiece.
Andersen Group emerged from the rubble of Arthur Andersen’s 2002 collapse following the scandal at now-defunct energy company Enron.
Arthur Andersen, which at one time was a member of the Big Five group of accounting firms, was convicted of obstruction of justice for its role in the Enron saga that was later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Following the collapse, HSBC bought part of the firm’s tax practice through a new arm, Wealth & Tax Advisory Services (WTAS).
WTAS, which parted ways with HSBC following a management-led buyout, was rebranded in 2014 after acquiring rights to the Andersen brand name.
Andersen offers tax, valuation, and financial advisory services to individuals and commercial clients.
The company reported net income of $65.7 million on revenue of $668.3 million in the nine months ended September 30, compared with $144.5 million on revenue of $589.2 million a year earlier.
Morgan Stanley and UBS Investment Bank are the lead underwriters for the offering.
After a relatively quiet end to November, the U.S. IPO market is gearing up for a final flurry of deals this year as corporate issuers look to seize on a narrow window before the Christmas holidays.
Andersen will list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ANDG.”
(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil and Prakhar Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Anil D’Silva)
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