By Arno Schuetze
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Springer Nature, the publisher of science magazines Nature and Scientific American, is preparing to launch its stock market listing next week, but may delay plans if the coronavirus continues to roil markets, people close to the matter said.
Its owners, buyout group BC Partners and publisher Holtzbrinck, plan to send out a so-called intention to float on March 9, with a view of listing the company in Frankfurt before Easter, the people said.
“But they will monitor markets closely until the last minute and it would not come as a surprise if they postpone”, one of the people said.
Another person said that so far, only companies which had their specific markets impacted by the spread of coronavirus were prone to cancelling a listing, but now a broader slide in stock markets is denting overall investor appetite for IPOs.
“Right now, Springer is all set for the launch. But if markets continue to fall if may not be the right moment”, the person said.
The deal is being organized by Goldman Sachs
BC Partners, Holtzbrinck and the banks declined to comment or were not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Arno Schuetze; Editing by Edward Taylor)
