Is the IPO freeze finally thawing?

What are the best upcoming IPOs to watch?

1. Is the IPO freeze finally thawing?

It’s been a long, cold winter for IPOs. That’s because timing is everything, and market conditions haven’t exactly been favourable over the past year.

Many companies have been biding their time as they wait out economic headwinds. But could predictions and whispers mean spring is finally coming?

This week, there were rumours the “Salesforce of the e-commerce world”, Klaviyo, could be one of the first big IPOs for 2023. Klaviyo is already profitable, making it the envy of other tech companies looking to list.

Other big upcoming IPOs to watch this year include Virgin Australia, Stripe, Reddit, Shein, Klarna and PZE Limited.

Who will be the first to push ahead with their plans?

2. Aesop’s empire gets bottled up by L’Oreal

Aesop, the Aussie-founded luxury skincare group, was sold by Natura this week to global beauty industry leader L’Oreal for a staggering $3.7 billion, debt included.

This massive acquisition marks the biggest sale of a luxury brand in Australian history.

It seems like Aesop’s skincare goals have paid off big time.

3. Amazon in the cloud with diamonds

Look out, Microsoft and Google. Amazon is betting on lab-grown diamonds.

The company’s AWS division is teaming up with De Beers to revolutionise computer networks.

Apparently, the company is working on next-generation ways to securely transmit data over longer distances. The diamonds are part of a component that lets data travel farther without breaking down.

4. Aussie beauty group plunges into receivership

While Aesop experienced a glow-up this week, another beauty retailer faceplanted.

If you don’t already know, BWX is the Australian beauty and skincare company that owns brands like Sukin, Flora & Fauna, and half of Zoe Foster Blake’s Go-To Skincare brand.

But Commonwealth Bank refused to bail the company out after an acquisition spree under their previous CEO dried out their balance sheet.

Now, KPMG receivers have been appointed to take control of the ASX-listed company’s operations.

5. General Motors overtakes Ford in EV sales

General Motors is hot on the heels of electric vehicle market leader Tesla after selling twice as many vehicles as Ford over the last quarter and bumping them out of second place in the U.S. electric vehicle race.

In Q1, General Motors Company supplied 19,700 units of its popular electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Bolt, which comes in hatchback and utility vehicle models.

Tesla: the next time you check your rearview mirror, it might not be Ford.