"Every revolution needs a soundtrack," is Skullcandy's (Nasdaq: SKUL ) motto.
After today's successful IPO, I wonder if there's some ironic capitalist anthem blaring away in the boardroom.
Skullcandy, after all, was started eight years ago by an action sports promoter and a lifelong industry enthusiast. Skullcandy spray-painted over the stodgy headphone market by introducing audio accessories with brash designs, loud patterns, and unique materials. They began distributing their headgear at extreme sporting events, and the revolution got under way.
There's money to be made in extreme sports and marketing to counterculture hipsters. Where would Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK ) , Zumiez (Nasdaq: ZUMZ ) , or Hot Topic (Nasdaq: HOTT ) be if we were all collar-popping preppies?
However, those are merely apparel and footwear companies that are trying to get folks to swap out their old clothes and shoes for throwback duds that simply look old and non-complacent. Skullcandy's rollout of edgy headphones came just as Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL ) iPod was gaining popularity. The ears were naked, dude. Someone had to cover them, and Apple's bland earbuds had the personality of a nerdy do-gooder.
Skullcandy's revenue took off, going from $9.1 million in 2006 to $160.6 million last year. The bottom line has been a different story, as profitability peaked in 2008. Skullcandy posted a loss in 2010, but has already popped back into profitability during this year's freshman quarter.
Skullcandy's IPO isn't getting the same kind of sizzle that fellow noob Zillow (Nasdaq: Z ) is commanding today. Skullcandy priced its offering at $20 last night. The shares opened at $23.11 this morning, but faded back down to $20 in the afternoon.
It can't be Apple's sluggish iPod sales from last night's quarterly report, because you will find plenty of iPhone and iPad owners donning Skullcandy gear. There's also no lack of love for third-party accessory specialists riding on Apple's coattails. Screen protector ZAGG (Nasdaq: ZAGG ) hit a new high today, and its stock has popped fivefold over the past year.
Skullcandy's merely mortal debut today will do. The market cap of $536 million at $20 given the 26.8 million shares that are now outstanding is a fair price, and one that will move based on the company's performance from here. If it's able to expand margins and keep growing at its currently brisk pace, Skullcandy's reasonable buyers today will be rewarded handsomely in the coming quarters. If Skullcandy's IPO was the handiwork of a company sensing that the time was ripe to cash out, the anti-establishment trick will play well to its fans.
Either way, Skullcandy itself comes out a winner. Every soundtrack needs a revolution.
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