Fender Guitars Goes Public July 19
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Fender Guitars Goes Public July 19SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Guitar maker Fender Musical Instruments said it will go public July 19, with a stock priced between $13 and $15 dollars, and expected to raise $160 million. It will be sold on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker FNDR.

The iconic guitar maker Fender Musical Instruments Corp. first revealed plans for its public stock offering in March, intending at the time to raise $200 million according to its SEC filing, half going to pay down debt.

 J.P. Morgan and William Blair & Co. are the lead underwriters on the deal. Private equity firm Weston Presidio, which purchased 43 percent Fender's stock in 2002, will retain "substantial control" after the offering.

Fender says it was the top selling guitar manufacturer in the United States last year, with revenues of its electric, acoustic and bass guitars reaching approximately $700 million, up from $618 million a year earlier. Headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, Fender's brands also include Squier, Jackson, Guild, Ovation and Latin Percussion.

Fender Guitars Goes Public July 19

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