Dunkin’ Brands Said To View IPO In H2

Sponsor-backed Dunkin’ Brands Inc. is considering an initial public offering of about $500 million in the second half of 2011, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters, a sister news service to Buyouts.

The IPO could be as large as $750 million, one of the sources said. Two or the sources said that there is disagreement among the sponsors over the company’s valuation. All of the sources said the discussions are preliminary and could change. The information is not public and the sources declined to be named.

A consortium of private equity firms Bain Capital, The Carlyle Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners reached an agreement in 2005 to take Dunkin’ Brands private for $2.4 billion in cash. Dunkin’ Brands has yet to pick banks to lead its IPO, the sources said. Banks that have previously provided financing to the company include Barclays plc, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

An IPO by Dunkin’ Brands, which owns donut and coffee seller Dunkin’ Donuts and ice cream shop Baskin-Robbins, would be the latest in a number buyout-backed deals including HCA Holdings Inc., Kinder Morgan Inc., BankUnited Inc. and Nielsen Holdings.

“We do not respond to rumors or speculation. We are focused on operating our business and helping our franchisees drive revenues and profits at their restaurants,” Dunkin’ Brands said in a statement. The Carlyle Group, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital declined comment.

Clare Baldwin is a correspondent for Reuters in New York. Alina Selyukh and Megan Davies also contributed to this report.