While its geographic footprint is all west of the Mississippi, convenience store operator Yesway Inc. is making New York City headlines this week with its initial public offering (IPO).
The company began trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq under the YSWY ticker.
In the wake of global convenience store giant 7-Eleven announcing that it will close over 600 locations in the United States, it’s an interesting time for a smaller convenience store chain on the rise to go public. Seven & i Holdings, the Japan-based owner of 7-Eleven, recently delayed an IPO of its North American unit.
Yesway hasn’t yet announced any plans for an expansion of its 440-plus-store, nine-state footprint, but the first returns on the IPO pave the way for that in the future. The company also owns the Allsup’s convenience store chain.
Here’s what you need to know about Yesway, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.
What is Yesway?
Yesway Inc. is the owner of the Yesway and Allsup’s convenience store chains, with 448 locations across nine states, most prominently in West Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
Yesway opened in 2015 with the financial backing of Boston-based Brookwood Financial Partners, and has since expanded.
The company is known for selling Allsup’s Burritos, but it also sells all of your typical convenience store goods, such as coffee, hot food, snacks, fountain drinks, and alcohol.
Last year, Yesway generated revenue of $2.67 billion and reported net income of $54 million, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).
When is Yesway’s IPO?
Yesway priced its shares on Tuesday and expects to begin trading today.
It filed for IPO initially in 2021, but withdrew in 2022 due to rising interest rates, Bloomberg reports. In a more active IPO market, it refiled and is finally offering now.
What is Yesway’s Stock Ticker?
The company will be traded under the YSWY ticker on the Nasdaq exchange.
What is the IPO share price of Yesway?
The IPO share price for Yesway is $20. Shares rose after trading began on Wednesday and were up more than 10% to $22.11 as of 1:50 p.m. ET.
How much will Yesway raise in its IPO?
Yesway sold approximately 14 million shares at that $20 price point, raising $280 million.
How much is Yesway worth?
That IPO price gives Yesway a valuation of approximately $1.2 billion, Bloomberg estimates.