Digital bank NOBA’s $3.7 billion IPO multiple times covered, bookrunners say

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STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Digital banking group NOBA’s initial public offering on the Stockholm bourse is multiple times covered, a bookrunner said on Monday, the latest indication that investors are warming to European listings after a barren period on the continent.

NOBA on Friday said it had set the price of its planned IPO at 70 crowns per share, valuing the firm at 35 billion crowns ($3.72 billion), and that it expects trading in its shares to start on September 26.

It is the second major Swedish financial services group to opt to go public this year, with buy now, pay later lender Klarna making its New York debut earlier this month.

The NOBA Group is controlled by private equity firm Nordic Capital’s funds and Finnish insurer Sampo Oyj, according to information on its website.

NOBA operates across the Nordic region under the brands Nordax Bank, Bank Norwegian and Svensk Hypotekspension. It also offers credit cards in Germany, as well as deposit products in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland.

After a sluggish first half of the year for Europe’s IPO market when several listings were pulled due to market volatility, there are signs of a revival.

Switzerland-based security services firm Verisure said last week it plans to raise 3.1 billion euros in a float in Stockholm, in what could be one of Europe’s largest initial public offerings since Porsche in 2022. Swiss Marketplace Group also priced at the top of a target range in its Zurich IPO last week.

($1 = 9.4080 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Charlie Conchie, editing by Kirsten Donovan)