Peloton priced shares at $29 after the bell Wednesday, valuing the company at $8.06 billion as it prepares to make its public debut Thursday. That's at the high end of the original $26 to $29 price range Peloton was targeting. The company raised $1.16 billion in the offering.
Peloton is pitching itself to investors as more than just an at-home fitness company. With live and on-demand classes led by popular instructors, plus branded gear and clothing that members can flaunt in public, Peloton is hoping its cult-like following translates to a successful IPO.
Peloton boasts a loyal subscriber-base with over 1.4 million members that logged 55 million total workouts in fiscal 2019. In its S-1 filing, Peloton also said it had a 95 percent member retention rate which helped the company rake in $915 million in revenue. Most of that money came from sales of Peloton's high-margin and high-cost Connected Fitness Products.
The Peloton bike costs about $2,000 and its treadmill more than $4,000. The Connected Fitness Subscription, which allows members to stream classes for $39 a month, accounted for nearly 20 percent of Peloton's revenue for fiscal 2019.
Those classes are only getting more popular. Peloton says the average number of monthly workouts per connected subscriber has about doubled since the first quarter of 2017 to more than 12 workouts a month.
Still, losses for the company are widening. Peloton's annual net loss more than quintupled from $47.9 million in fiscal 2018 to $245.7 million in 2019. The company doesn't expect to achieve profitability in the near future.
Another reason that may give investors pause, Peloton is currently facing a $300 million lawsuit over the use of music streamed in its classes. The National Music Publisher's Association claims tracks from big-time artists like Taylor Swift, Adele, and the Beatles, have been used unlawfully. Peloton has spent $50.6 million on music licensing over the last three years.
Peloton will start trading Thursday on the Nasdaq Exchange under the ticker symbol PTON.
Wood modification technology company Kebony recently raised $34 million in its latest funding round. The company's patented technology transformed sustainable softwood using leftover materials and makes it into a product that behaves like premium hardwood. The process has the potential to transform the global construction industry, as it is cost-effective and eco-friendly. Kebony CEO Norman Willemsen joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
After a year hiatus due to COVID, the LA Auto Show is back in-person from November 19-28. The event will feature automakers from around the world as they introduce their latest concepts and production vehicles. David Fortin, head of consumer marketing for the LA Auto Show, joins Cheddar News to preview the event.
The major markets took a breather Tuesday, with the Dow, S&P, Nasdaq, and Russell 2000 all finishing lower after notching record closes on Monday. Rhys Williams, Chief Strategist at Spouting Rock Asset Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he provides his biggest takeaways from the day's activity.
As major social media and tech companies like Facebook and Microsoft announce plans for metaverse technology, chipmakers like Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and more stand to benefit as the technology rolls out and evolves. But who will take the lead and benefit the most? Paul Meeks, Portfolio Manager at Independent Solutions Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the metaverse chipmaker race, who could come out on top, the timeline of how this sector will heat up, and more.
Jason Moser, Senior Analyst at The Motley Fool, breaks down AMC's third quarter earnings and discusses the future of the theater chain despite low ticket sales.
IBM's spinoff, Kyndryl, is officially an independent public company. The $19 billion business is now listed on the NYSE under the ticker KD, becoming one of the largest players in the IT services market. David Wyshner, CFO of Kyndryl, joined Cheddar to discuss what this milestone means for the company moving forward.