Brussels, 25 June 2014 – Ontex, a leading global provider of disposable hygiene products, today celebrated its listing on the regulated market of Euronext Brussels.
Ontex is a leading global producer of disposable personal hygiene solutions for babies, women and adults. Its products are distributed through retail partner brands, as well as under its own brands, across several distribution channels, such as retail trade, care institutions and pharmacies. Ontex is Europe's leading manufacturer of retailer branded hygienic disposable products.
Listing of Ontex (ticker code: ONTEX) on Euronext Brussels occurred through the admission to trading of 33,135,971 shares, of which 18,055,555 new shares, 10,758,333 existing shares and 4,322,083 over-allotted shares. The IPO offer price of Ontex shares was €18.00 per share. The gross proceeds resulting from the new shares sold by the company is €325 million.
“We are delighted to welcome Ontex to Euronext Brussels. Ontex’s listing will give it access to Europe’s largest pool of liquidity and will substantially raise its visibility with national and international investors. We look forward to a long-standing partnership with the company and its shareholders,” declared Vincent Van Dessel, CEO of Euronext Brussels.
“We congratulate Ontex on its IPO and are particularly pleased to welcome back this European leader in personal hygiene, active in over 100 countries on our market in Brussels,” said Alain Baetens, Head of Listings of Euronext Brussels. “It is one of the largest IPOs ever in Belgium, and illustrates our markets’ capacity to work at the very heart of the business financing chain, offering companies the resources they need to deploy their business strategies.”
Charles Bouaziz, CEO of Ontex, said : “This is a landmark day for Ontex, its employees, customers, consumers and shareholders as the business returns to the Euronext stock exchange. As a public company, with the support of the financial markets, we will become a stronger partner and employer delivering profitable sustainable growth. Over the last few years, the business has expanded its geographical presence organically and via acquisitions, increasing the weight of our brands and incontinence products in our mix. We aim to deliver both top and bottom line growth, providing high quality and innovative hygiene solutions to our customers and consumers, further developing the brands of our retail partners as well as Ontex brands. We look forward to delivering on these opportunities for the benefit of our consumers, customers, employees, our new and existing shareholders.”
To celebrate the listing, Charles Bouaziz, CEO of Ontex, and Jacques Purnode, CFO of Ontex, rang the bell to open trading on Euronext’s European markets. They were accompanied by Alain Baetens, Head of Listings of Euronext Brussels.