US-based yogurt producer Chobani is drawing attention with a recent 650 million dollar equity investment. This investment has raised the company's valuation to approximately 20 billion dollars. This financial success for Chobani has also increased the wealth of its founder and majority shareholder, Hamdi Ulukaya, enabling him to enter the Bloomberg Billionaires Index as one of the world's 500 wealthiest people. According to the index, Ulukaya's net worth has exceeded 11 billion dollars.
According to an S&P Global Ratings report, Ulukaya's stake in Chobani stands at 83.5 percent. Based on Bloomberg's assessments, considering the average sales and earnings multiples of similar companies in the packaged food and beverage sector, Chobani's value is calculated to be around 14 billion dollars. However, Stephens Inc. analyst Jim Salera noted that the 20 billion dollar valuation appears high, stating, "It is really difficult to perform a valuation in this environment."
Chobani plans to use the investment to build a new dairy facility in Rome, New York, and to increase the capacity of its Twin Falls plant in Idaho. These expansion steps stand out as part of the company's growth strategy.
News Source: 12punto
