Last Updated on 06/29/2021 by GS Staff
Can You Buy Patagonia Stock?
No, Patagonia is not a publicly-traded company. It does not trade on the NYSE, Nasdaq, or similar exchanges where the public can purchase shares of stock for investment. Patagonia is a private company that is not required to disclose its financials publicly. Furthermore, it is not bound to the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Will Patagonia Ever Be Publicly Traded?
It is possible that the company will become a publicly-traded company in the future. However, if we had to speculate, we would assume that the company will remain private for the foreseeable future.
Patagonia considers itself an activist company that is looking to make the world a better place. According to Time, 1 percent of sales go to nonprofits involved in environmental causes. Additionally, 2016 Black Friday sales (approximately $10 million) went to environmental groups to give you an idea of what the company stands behind. Patagonia likely does not want to become a public company where it will need to worry about profitability and shareholders when it can operate as a private company with more freedom.
Who Owns Patagonia?
Since Patagonia is not owned by public shareholders, who owns the company?
Patagonia is owned by the founder, Yvon Chouinard. Based on data from Forbes, he has become a billionaire from his ownership in the company. His real-time net worth was $1.8 billion at the time of this article.
Chouinard was an advanced rock climber who began selling his mountain climbing hardware in 1957. In 1970, he became the top supplier of climbing equipment in the United States. His company began selling apparel in 1972. Rugby shirts from England that could withstand the wear and tear of climbing and beanies made in Boulder are examples of clothing items first sold by the company. The first Patagonia store opened in 1973 in Ventura, California. It now has over 70 stores globally.
Public Outdoor Companies
Since Patagonia is not an option for investing, let’s take a look at a selection of outdoor companies that are publicly traded. If you are interested in companies similar to Patagonia for investment purposes, these company’s are worth researching:
- Columbia – Columbia trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol COLM. It specializes in outerwear and sportswear. The company began in 1937 as a tiny hat manufacturing company in Portland called Columbia Hat Company.
- VF Corp – VF trades under the stock symbol VFC on the NYSE. The company has approximately 30 brands that it owns, many that are not outdoor clothing-related. However, the most notable competitor of Patagonia that VF Corp owns is The North Face. They are an outdoor clothing, footwear, and equipment company that was founded in 1968 and bought by VF in 2000. Notably, VF also owns the extremely popular footwear and apparel company, Vans.
- Deckers Outdoor Corporation – The company trades under the stock symbol DECK. It is known for its footwear, namely Teva, Ugg, and Sanuk. Deckers has been a public company since 1993.
- Canada Goose Holdings – The company is known for its cold-weather clothing including its popular down-filled jackets. It trades under the symbol GOOS.
- Wolverine Worldwide – Its stock symbol is WWW. Wolverine is the company beyond Merrell, Cat Footwear, Saucony, and others.
- Newell Brands – Newell (NWL) has a diversified portfolio of brands including Elmer’s, Graco, Sunbeam, Yankee Candle, Rubbermaid, and many more. Its outdoor and recreation brands include Coleman, Marmont, and Contigo.
Image Credit – ajay_suresh/flickr
