Manchester United seeks $100m New
York stock sale
3 July 2012
Manchester United has applied to
list on the US stock market in a share sale aimed at raising $100m (£64m).
In documents filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the Premier League giant said it was
listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The club had earlier explored the
possibility of a $1bn flotation on the Singapore stock market.
United, among the best-supported
clubs in the world, said it would use money from the listing to repay debt.
The club has been controlled
since 2005 by the Glazer family, the billionaire US sports investors who also
own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football franchise.
The Glazers borrowed large sums
of money to buy the club and the interest payments on this debt are onerous.
In 2010, the owners converted
these loans into a bond in order to reduce the interest, but analysts say the
share sale demonstrates how the club remains weighed down by its heavy debts,
despite its huge global fan base and promotional and marketing efforts.
The club currently owes £423m.
"We intend to use all of our
net proceeds from this offering to reduce our indebtedness," the
prospectus filed with the SEC said.
The club will issue two
categories of share to ensure that the Glazer family remains in control.
The $100m figure in the initial
public offering (IPO) paperwork is what is known as a "placeholder"
figure, and it is envisaged that the club will want to raise significantly more
than this sum.
In September, United received
approval for a share sale in Singapore, but the process was delayed because of
volatility in the stock markets.
Several high-profile flotations
have been pulled in recent months as investor appetite has been dampened by the
European debt crisis and worries that Asian economies are slowing.
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