Panera IPO: Will Panera Stock Begin Trading Next Year?
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Recent Panera IPO Stock News
07/19/2024: Panera Brands explores sale of coffee, bagel chains
03/06/2024: Panera loosens ingredients standards ahead of IPO
11/30/2023: JAB’s Panera Brands files confidential IPO paperwork
11/01/2023: Panera Laying Off 17% of Corporate Staff as It Eyes IPO
Older news…
What is Panera?
Panera Brands is a fast-casual restaurant chain with three brands: Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
The company has a storied history, tracing its roots back to the St. Louis Bread Company, founded in 1987. It still operates under that name in St. Louis.
It was later purchased by the public company Au Bon Pain, which later changed its name to Panera.
In 2017, JAB Holdings, a German conglomerate, purchased the publicly traded Panera stock for $7.5 billion, and it has operated privately since.
JAB Holdings merged Panera with two previously-acquired brands, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels, into Panera Brands on August 5th, 2021, intending to complete a SPAC merger with USHG Acquisition Corp.
This was at the height of SPAC and IPO euphoria in 2021. The SPAC merger fell through by July 2022.
In early 2023, Panera Brands tried to “sell the company to itself via a continuation fund”, according to a report by the Financial Times, but could not garner support.
In late November 2023, Panera Brands filed confidentially for an IPO in the U.S. with JPMorgan Chase as the lead underwriter.
Is Panera Stock Publicly Traded Today?
No. Panera Brands is a private, wholly-owned business unit of JAB Holdings.
Who Owns Panera?
JAB Holdings owns Panera Brands. The holding company bought the publicly traded Panera in 2017. JAB Holdings already owned Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bagels.
90% percent of JAB Holdings is owned by four children of the Reimann family, whose ancestors founded a chemical company called Joh. A. Benckiser GmbH in 1828. The highly secretive Reimann family is Germany’s second wealthiest.
Peter Harf is also an owner, alongside a group of wealthy European family owners, including the Peugeots, according to The Economist.
What is the Panera Valuation?
JAB Holdings bought Panera Bread for $7.5 billion in 2017. Panera Bread has since merged with Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels into Panera Brands. Caribou and Einstein Bagel valuations are unknown.
The press release did not include a Panera Brands valuation during the merger or when the FT reported about the confidential IPO filing.
We may get a leak about the valuation. But at this stage, we’ll likely find out the Panera valuation when the S-1 filing is released to the public.
When is the Panera IPO Date?
The Panera IPO date is currently unknown, but it is on our list of likely IPO candidates in 2024.
The company filed confidentially for an IPO in the U.S. in November 2023, as reported by the Financial Times. Once the filing is qualified by the SEC, it will be released to the public, and the IPO process will commence.
JPMorgan Chase is the lead underwriter.
Panera could be the highest-profile restaurant IPO since the Cava IPO.
What is the Panera Stock Symbol? Panera Ticker?
There is no Panera stock symbol yet because it is a private company. The previous Panera stock symbol, which was delisted in 2017, was PNRA.
PNRA is the most likely candidate for the next IPO.
We’ll find out when the S-1 filing is released to the public.
Other less likely Panera Brands tickers include:
- BRED
- BREAD
- PCE (Panera, Caribou, Einstein)
What is the Panera Stock Price?
There is no Panera stock price because it is a private conglomerate business unit.
How to Invest in Panera Stock
Since Panera is a business unit of a larger holding company, U.S. investors cannot invest in Panera stock yet.
There is no pre-IPO access to Panera, and JAB Holdings is a private company with no public stock.
The only way to invest in the company is to wait for the Panera IPO and attempt to get IPO access.
1. Access Panera IPO Shares Through a Broker
Now that Panera is pursuing an IPO to become a public company, nimble investors may find investment opportunities via participating online brokers.
The following online brokers give their users access to IPOs:
IPO underwriters control where IPO shares get distributed. JPMorgan is the lead underwriter. Additional underwriters will be disclosed in the SEC filing.
The brokers in the list above are the most likely to offer shares to retail investors because they have processes built into their platforms.
TradeStation and Webull have long track records of accessing more than 360 IPOs and secondary offerings via their partnership with ClickIPO.
But Robinhood has the advantage of Silicon Valley networks, which may not be helpful with Panera since it’s part of a German conglomerate.
We expect an IPO north of $10 billion, which could make some shares available to retail investors.
Read the S-1 filing to find mentions of these online brokers to identify opportunities.
Check out this list of best brokers for IPO investing to learn more about IPO access for retail investors.
2. Become a Panera customer to invest (via a Directed Share Program)
Will Panera customers get a chance to invest in the Panera IPO?
We don’t know, but it’s a possibility. Customers who are also shareholders of consumer-facing companies tend to be more loyal patrons. Therefore, it is advantageous for IPO candidates to offer shares to customers.
When companies file their S-1 SEC filing (to kick off the IPO process), they sometimes include a directed share program for executives, affiliates, and loyal customers.
Panera can attribute its success to its customers and can use the IPO to reward them and encourage share ownership.
This has happened before.
- Uber offered shares to drivers who completed a certain number of trips.
- GoPro offered shares to its email list.
- Airbnb offered IPO shares to hosts.
- Robinhood offered IPO shares to its customers.
The MyPanera and Unlimited Sips clubs could be a way to limit the number of customers eligible for IPO access.
Bookmark this page for more information as the IPO approaches.
3. Buy the stock after the Panera IPO
A Panera IPO may happen in 2024. Having already filed confidentially, Panera may release the S-1 to the public any day.
Waiting for stocks to become publicly traded before investing in them has advantages.
The IPO provides investors access to several sets of financials after a few quarters of reporting, whereas S-1 is only a snapshot.
IPO stock prices typically rise with high-demand companies. You can benefit if you’re in early and sell when the price overheats.
However, post-IPO investors may be tempted to acquire shares at inflated prices.
Avoid purchasing overvalued shares immediately after the IPO, as they tend to experience a decline in value following lockup expirations and quarterly earnings disappointments.
In contrast, the most disruptive companies are likely to experience higher valuations a decade from now. Be selective and patient.
Panera is not a disruptive company. It is established and mature, which could mean limited growth potential. Read about the company’s growth plan in the S-1 filing to help determine if the company is an appropriate investment for your objectives.
Where is the Panera S-1 Filing?
Domestic companies file an S-1. Foreign companies submit an F-1 filing to the SEC to kick off the IPO process.
Since Panera is based in Missouri, an S-1 filing is most likely, despite being part of a German conglomerate.
Panera has submitted a confidential filing to the SEC, suggesting the IPO could occur during the following two to six months. But it has yet to release the filing to the public.
Most companies start with a confidential filing and then release the filing to the public when ready to start the IPO process.
When the company releases the S-1 filing to investors, we’ll link to and embed the document on this web page.
In the meantime, you can check out the most recent S-1 filings in our filings feed.
Panera News Archive
08/15/2023: Panera Brands Appoints Paul Carbone As CFO
05/23/2023: Panera Prepares for IPO with New Leadership
07/01/2022: Panera Bread terminates SPAC deal
11/09/2021: Panera Bread announces SPAC investment
08/05/2021: Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bros Bagels Merge
06/18/2020: A peek inside JAB Holding
04/05/2017: Panera Bread and JAB Announce Definitive Merger Agreement
Conclusion
Panera customers and fans may seek out an investment in a company they frequent and love.
However, pre-IPO Panera shares are likely to remain elusive due to being wholly owned.
The Panera financials and growth projections will be critical for retail investors in this deal.
Beware, since the company is tightly owned by a wealthy family, the main objective of this IPO may be to enrich the family and holding companies.
Pre-IPO equity in Panera will not be possible. Investors will need to wait for the IPO, which could come in 2024, to invest. Monitor this website for the latest.
Good luck if you want to acquire Panera stock by participating in the Panera IPO. Invest in IPO companies with caution due to inflated risk.
Craig Stephens is a former IT professional who left his 19-year consulting career at the IRS to be a full-time finance writer. A DIY investor since 1995, he started Access IPOs in 2016 to provide a resource for ordinary investors pursuing access to IPOs. Craig studied Finance at Michigan State University and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and three children. Learn more about Craig.
Risk Statement: Investing in IPOs and pre-IPO startups involves significant risk. Do not invest in companies based solely on what is included in this article. Only invest in IPOs and pre-IPO companies with money you can afford to lose. Access IPOs is for informational purposes only. Mentions of specific investments should not be construed as financial advice. Conduct personalized research and consider consulting with an investment advisor before investing.
