There's talk of infighting among its founder's heirs and a sluggish appetite for hotel reservations around the globe. But Hyatt Hotels Corp. shares are set to begin trading Thursday now that the company raised $950 million in its initial public offering. Questions had lingered about whether investors would feel confident enough to snatch up the 38 million shares of the iconic hotel chain that were offered. Among the issues facing the company are disputes between members of the wealthy Pritzker family, the largest holders of Hyatt stock with an 85 percent stake in the Chicago company. "One thing Wall Street does not like is controversy," said John Fitzgibbon, founder of IPOScoop. Proceeds from the sale _ which was priced late Wednesday at $25 each, near the top end of the $23 to $26 range _ will go almost entirely to the family, who will remain in control of the company with about two-thirds of outstanding shares and three-quarters of the shareholder voting power. The board will include two family members, too: Executive Chairman Thomas J. Pritzker and his cousin Penny Pritzker. "That basically makes the people that buy into it a junior, silent partner," Fitzgibbon said. Hyatt won't receive any proceeds from the IPO. Squabbling among Pritzker heirs, influential but private figures in Chicago's philanthropic, business and political circles, began shortly after patriarch Jay Pritzker's death a decade ago. Among the contentions are allegations that family members shortchanged trust funds or mishandled the clan's hefty financial legacy and business interests. The family also has feuded over how Thomas Pritzker administered various family trusts and the dual class structure of Hyatt stock, which gives the family 10 votes per share. "Disputes ... among Pritzker family members and the trustees of the Pritzker family trusts may result in significant distractions to our management, disrupt our business, have a negative effect on the trading price of our ... common stock," Hyatt cautioned in a regulatory filing last month outlining a series of risks faced by the company when it become publicly traded. Executives also noted any such problems could heap negative publicity on Hyatt and the family. A Hyatt spokesman declined to comment. Continued... |