Fast Fashion Retailer C&A May Raise up to $540 Million in Brazil IPO

SAO PAULO, Brazil — C&A Modas SA, the Brazilian unit of Dutch fast-fashion retailer C&A, and its shareholders aim to raise up to 2.2 billion reais ($542 million) in an initial public offering, according to a securities filing on Monday.

C&A, which set the price range of its shares between 16.5 and 20 reais, intends to raise funds to pay down 775.2 million reais in intercompany loans and to expand the business.

The retailer plans to price its shares on October 24.

The Dutch retailer, controlled by the Brenninkmeijer family, also plans to sell part of its stake in the Brazilian company. After the offering, the parent company's stake in the fully owned subsidiary may fall as low as 63.8 percent.

The Brazilian operation, which has 282 stores, generated revenue of 2.31 billion reais in the first half of the year, booking net income of 777.2 million reais.

The investment banking units of Morgan Stanley, Banco Bradesco SA, Banco BTG Pactual SA, Citigroup Inc, Banco Santander Brasil SA and XP Investimentos SA will manage the offering.

By Paula Laier, Carolina Mandl; editor: Steve Orlofsky.