Richard Palmer says Maserati’s stand-alone business structure and dealer network make it an IPO candidate.
Stellantis is open to listing Maserati in the future as it seeks to strengthen the luxury brand’s line-up and end its ‘boom and bust’ historical performance, company chief financial officer Richard Palmer said.
The brand is the closest premium rival that Stellantis has to Porsche, which listed in September and raised almost €20 billion (AUD$31 billion) for the Volkswagen Group.
“At some point in time, Maserati may be an interesting asset that can stand in the market on its own,” Palmer told analysts on the Stellantis third-quarter results call on Thursday. However, he said a listing wasn’t planned “any time soon,” as Maserati continues to roll out new models on its path to full electrification by 2030.
Maserati sold just under 17,000 cars globally in the nine months to the end of September, generating €1.6bn (AUD$2.5bn) in revenue for Stellantis. No profit figure was given.
Palmer said Maserati would be a good candidate for listing given its stand-alone business structure within Stellantis as well as having its own dealer network.
While Porsche’s listing has been successful, valuing it ahead of the VW Group, Stellantis will be mindful that both Porsche and Ferrari remain outliers when it comes to spinning off premium brands. Aston Martin’s IPO in 2018 has been widely seen as a mistake after shares plummeted from a high of £19 to 93p today (AUD$33.7 to $1.65). Polestar, Volvo’s premium electric brand, has also seen its shares slump since listing in June.
Maserati, however, has the benefit of both established brand strength and the committed backing of Stellantis, which has established a launch rollout that includes next year’s electric version of the new Grecale SUV, a rival to the Porsche Macan.
The brand has also unveiled the new Maserati Granturismo 2+2 coupé and from mid-2023 electric power in the Folgore versions, giving Maserati a rival to the Porsche Taycan.
A new Maserati Quattroporte is also being planned for launch before 2025, as well as a replacement for the Levante large SUV. Both are expected to offer electric versions.
Nick Gibbs