By Arasu Kannagi Basil
(Reuters) -Safety testing company UL Solutions is targeting a valuation of up to $5.8 billion in its U.S. initial public offering, the latest in a growing number of companies looking to tap into improving investor appetite for new listings.
The company, owned by non-profit UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), said on Tuesday its parent will sell 28 million shares at a price range of $26 to $29 each to raise up to $812 million.
UL Solutions is moving ahead with the listing at a time when the U.S. IPO market is on a rebound amid growing expectations of a soft landing for the economy.
Norwegian wealth fund Norges Bank Investment Management has indicated an interest in purchasing up to $75 million worth of shares.
"Long-term investors may need to be convinced that there is a profitable growth story in a company that culturally only became for-profit in 2012," said Michael Ashley Schulman, partner and chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors.
Schulman added that new investors might be cautious of the company's declining earnings per share over the last three years.
UL Solutions, which tests the safety of industrial and consumer products, competes with European giants Intertek, Bureau Veritas, SGS and Eurofins.
The Northbrook, Illinois-based UL Solutions has originated from a 130-year-old organization and its "UL Mark" safety-standard certification has appeared on billions of products since 1906.
Increasing requirements from governments and insurers, as well as the introduction of new products and technologies, have created a continuous demand for its services as new safety risks are identified.
After the IPO, parent ULSE will hold a 86% stake in the company.
UL Solutions will list on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol "ULS".
Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan are the lead underwriters of the offering.