Applied Aerospace & Defense Inc., a Huntsville, Alabama-based manufacturer of mission-critical systems for space and defense applications, has launched the roadshow for its planned initial public offering.
The company has proposed offering 32.5 million shares of common stock with an anticipated price range of $18.00 to $21.00 per share. The proposed deal also contains a 30-day option allowing the underwriters to purchase up to an additional 4.875 million shares at the IPO price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.
Using the midpoint of the stated pricing range, the offering would raise approximately $633 million. If the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full, the total proceeds could rise to as much as $682 million.
Applied Aerospace & Defense has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the proposed offering and has applied to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AADX." The registration statement has been filed but has not yet become effective; the company noted that the securities cannot be sold until the registration statement is declared effective.
The company said it intends to allocate net proceeds from the IPO to repay certain indebtedness and for general corporate purposes, which the company specified to include working capital, operating expenses and capital expenditures.
Deal leadership falls to Morgan Stanley and Jefferies, which are serving as lead book-running managers for the offering. Additional book-running managers named include BofA Securities, RBC Capital Markets and Guggenheim Securities. Baird, Stifel and Wolfe | Nomura Alliance are listed as bookrunners, while Academy Securities is serving as co-manager.
Applied Aerospace & Defense describes its business as a provider of advanced design, engineering and vertically integrated manufacturing solutions for companies in space and defense technology. The firm identifies three core markets for its products and services: Space and Launch Systems; Defense Aviation and Airborne Systems; and C5ISR and Precision Strike Systems.
Context for investors
The company, headquartered in Huntsville, is taking steps to become a publicly traded entity and has outlined both the scale of the offering and the uses for proceeds. The presence of a structured overallotment option means the ultimate size of the financing can expand if underwriters exercise that option within the designated 30-day window.
At present, because the S-1 registration is not yet effective, there is a procedural restriction that prevents the sale of the securities until the SEC declares the filing effective.