HD Supply files to go public

HD Supply Holdings, a company spun off from Home Depot in 2007, filed forms late last week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to take the company public.

The now-private company would use the proceeds to repay or otherwise acquire HD Supply’s debt. HD Supply is an industrial distributor owned by three private equity firms: The Carlyle Group, Bain Capital and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.

Home Depot owns about 12.5 percent of HD Supply’s common stock. It cost about $8.5 billion to take the company private. The offering is expected to raise $1 billion.

HD Supply, which reported earnings Friday, lost $713 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The company reported debt of $6.4 billion, up 17 percent from the same quarter a year ago. HD Supply has carried a heavy debt load since it was purchased by the private equity owners.