By Echo Wang
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Private equity-owned Medline Industries is aiming to raise more than $5 billion in its U.S. initial public offering expected to happen in 2025, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
The stock market flotation could value Medline at about $50 billion and is expected to launch during the second quarter, the sources said, cautioning that the company’s plans are subject to market conditions and could change.
Northfield, Illinois-based Medline, which is owned by buyout firms Blackstone, Carlyle, and Hellman & Friedman, has invited several investment banks to pitch for lead roles on what is likely to be one of the marquee IPOs next year, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential.
Medline did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Blackstone, Carlyle, and Hellman & Friedman declined to comment.
Medline, which was acquired by its current private equity owners in a deal worth $34 billion in 2021, is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of medical supplies such as surgical equipment, gloves, and laboratory devices used by hospitals around the world.
The company, which employs about 43,000 people worldwide and operates in more than 100 countries, currently generates annual sales of more than $23 billion, according to its website.
Bloomberg reported on Medline’s IPO preparations in July.
(Reporting by Echo Wang in New York; Editing by Anirban Sen and Bill Berkrot)