Spotify Goes Public

Spotify filed to go public on Wednesday, this is Spotify’s F1 filling: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1639920/000119312518063434/d494294df1.htm Music streaming service Spotify has filed for an initial public offering targeting $1 billion on Wednesday afternoon. Europe’s largest startup will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “SPOT.”

According to the filing with the SEC, in 2018 the company’s shares recently traded for as high as $132.50 on private markets. The filing is unusual in that while Morgan Stanley is working as the financial adviser, the shares will be directly on a stock exchange without relying on underwriters to assess demand and set an initial price. According to the filing this means “the trading volume and price of our ordinary shares may be more volatile.”

The documentation the company submitted shows they generated 4.1 billion Euros in revenue last year, a nearly 40% increase since the 2.9 billion in 2016 and a 111% increase since the 1.9 billion in 2015. Furthermore, Spotify notes that its platform had 159 million monthly active users, which they “believe is nearly double the scale” of its closest competitor, Apple Music.

The company, however, showed that the losses are mounting too — $1.5 billion last year, 130% more than 2016.

Source: Forbes