Ted Baker PLC (LON:TED) has launched a share placing to fund its growth strategy after swinging to loss.
The clothier is looking to raise £95mln by placing shares at a 51% discount to Friday’s closing price of 153p.
READ: Ted Baker promotes interim chief financial officer to permanent role
The proceeds will be used to upgrade the e-commerce platform, refinancing the business and pay for capital expenditure projects.
In the year to 26 January, revenue dipped 1% to £630mln but the previous year’s £30mln profit swung to £80mln loss due to higher administrative and distribution costs as well as £23mln impairments.
The plan is to grow revenue by 5% and adjusted margin (EBITDA) by 7-10% in the medium term.
The current financial year will see further job and salary cuts to reduce costs, alongside reduction in stock and suppliers.
The fashion designer recently sold off its head office for £72mln to pay off some debt.
In the 14 weeks to 2 May, total retail sales dropped 34% despite a 50% jump in online, while wholesale revenue tanked 40%.
Stores have started to gradually reopen, mostly in Europe.
"There has been progress the last six months in rectifying the missteps of the last few years but there remains much to do," analysts at house broker Liberum commented.
"The proposals laid out by the new management are designed to be a one-time fix and intend to rectify the financial issues, improve the organisational structure, enhance the capital-light global relationships that are the bedrock of the business, right-size the organisation, and lay a platform for profitable and sustainable growth."
Shares slipped 15% to 131p on Monday at the opening bell.
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