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Virgin Australia shares jump 8.3% in trading debut

Virgin Australia's shares rose 8.3% on Tuesday, after the company raised A$685m ($439m) through an IPO. Dealmakers are hoping that this transaction will help revive a stagnant listings market.

The airline sold 236.2 millions shares at A$2.90 per share, which equates to A$2.32billion on a fully-diluted basis.

The stock opened trading at A$3.14, eclipsing the 1.2% increase in S&P/ASX200, Australia's benchmark index.

FlightRadar24, a flight tracking website, reported that Virgin made its debut on Monday when it diverted two Qatar bound flights to India and Oman. Qatar temporarily closed down its airspace in anticipation of Iran firing missiles on a U.S. military base located within the state. Virgin didn't immediately respond to Virgin's request for comment.

Virgin, Australia's second largest airline based on market share (after Qantas Airways) will be delisted from the stock exchange in 2020. Private equity giant Bain Capital has rescued Virgin from administration.

The IPO prospectus revealed that Bain, who bought Virgin for A$3.5billion including liabilities, would see its stake reduce to 39.4%, from around 70%. Qatar Airways, who recently purchased into the airline will retain 23%.

(source: Reuters)