Cybersecurity Firm Rapid7's Upcoming IPO: What Investors Should Know

Boston, Massachusetts-based Rapid7, a cybersecurity firm, will be launching its IPO later this week on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker “RPD.” The company will offer 6.45 million shares of its common stock with a price range of $13-$15 per share. Rapid7 is hoping to raise upwards of $111 million.

Morgan Stanley (MS - Analyst Report) and Barclays (BCS - Analyst Report) will be acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Pacific Crest Securities, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., William Blair & Co. LLC, Cowen & Co. LLC, and Raymond James Financial (RJF -Analyst Report) will serve as co-managers on the offering.

Rapid7 engineers and sells software to help protect customers from digital attacks by analyzing network traffic and other data to show who is accessing a company’s computer systems, which the company considers to be a more modern approach to digital security. About two-thirds of the company’s sales come from its product Nexpose.

Rapid7 have seen significant sales growth over the last few years, which may make it an intriguing stock for investors. The company collected approximately $46 million in revenue in 2012, then about $60 million in 2013, and in its latest year 2014 a revenue of $77 million.

Despite growing revenues, Rapid7 has yet to turn a profit, which means any potential investor will have to trust in the company’s plans for future earnings growth. In 2014, the company posted a net loss of $32 million, which was a substantial increase from its losses in 2012 of $12 million. The company still reports cash of around $33 million though, despite these losses, which are due to selling and marketing expenses, according to Rapid7.

Investors should keep tabs on Rapid7 as it debuts on the market, mainly because if the company can continue to grow revenues and eventually become profitable, it could be a solid investment opportunity. The company’s sector has heated up lately as cyber attacks are becoming more common, and Rapid7 must hope to put itself in a position to be the go-to protection tactic for these attacks.

Be sure to check back with Zacks later in the week to see just how Rapid7’s stock performs on its first day of trading after its IPO launch.

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