Two Chinese IPOs head up what could be a busy, pre-Thanksgiving shopping season for the new-issues calendar.

Bankers plan to price 11 deals for the week of November 14 and hope to raise $1.2 billion. And there are several deals on the IPO professionals’ “most-wanted list.” But first comes China.

The two Chinese IPOs on this week’s calendar are Actions Semiconductor and Vimicro International. Both are reportedly in demand from American IPO professionals. You don’t have to look at a fortune cookie to see why. A quick glance at their profit-and-loss statements answers many questions.

Actions Semiconductor is a super fast-growing and highly profitable fabless semiconductor company. For the nine months ending September 30, Actions Semiconductor reported net income of $53.7 million on total net revenue of $109.7 million. By comparison, for the year ending December 31, 2004, Actions Semiconductor reported net income of $26.5 million on total net revenue of $57.3 million.

Vimicro is another fast-growing fabless semiconductor company. For the nine months ending September 30, Vimicro reported net income of $5.3 million on net revenue of $40.4 million. By comparison, for the year ending December 31, 2004, Vimicro reported a net loss of $5.6 million on net revenue of $50.3 million.

IPOCalendarBuilding

Let’s take a step back and ask why the IPO calendar is starting to build after such a dismal October.

In October 2005, bankers priced 13 IPOs, excluding three unit offerings consisting of common stock and warrants. That was the slowest IPO month since April 2005, when eight deals were priced.

There are two reasons for the November IPO calendar’s revival.

First, the Nasdaq Composite Index has shown a good recovery from its recent low established a month ago. On Friday morning, November 11, the Nasdaq Composite was trading at 2,202—up 8.1 percent from 2,037 on October 12.

Second, bankers try to “force feed” the IPO market a week ahead of the shortened Thanksgiving week.

In 2004, the IPO calendar for the week of November 15 listed eight deals and the week of November 22 (Thanksgiving week) listed just one deal.

This year, the IPO calendar for the week of November 14 lists 11 deals, and the week of November 21 (Thanksgiving week) lists four deals.

But don’t close the books on the Thanksgiving week yet. There may be a deal or two on the calendar that were on the “most-wanted list” at press time. Stay tuned.

Now, let’s move deeper into this week’s IPO calendar.

Waiting in the wings of this week’s new-issues calendar is a trading exchange (IntercontinentalExchange) and a sporting apparel company (Under Armour); both are reportedly in demand. Rounding out this week’s IPO show are five technology companies, including the two Chinese companies, a Dutch auction, an insurance company, and a couple of “black check” companies.

The rest of this week’s calendar and their profiles are listed below:

Technology IPOs

—Actions Semiconductor is a Guangdong, China-based fabless semiconductor company offering system-on-a-chip products and total solutions for personal media players. It plans to price 13 million American Depositary Shares (ADS) at $9.50 to $11.50 each. The company will offer 8.7 million ADS and selling shareholders will offer 4.3 million ADS. The IPO is to start trading on November 18. Actions Semiconductor has about 257 employees.

Underwriters: Credit Suisse First Boston is the lead manager. Acting as co-managers are Merrill Lynch, Needham, and Piper Jaffray.

Selected Principal Shareholders: Rich Dragon Consultants, Tetrad Ventures, Starlink Development, Suffolk Dragon Ventures, Winday Technology Development, Meva Group, Fineway Group, Chinsola Enterprises, and Universal Charger Ventures.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductor Index: up 11.4 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

—Global Secure (a carryover from last week) is a Washington, D.C.-based provider of data management services for the BioWatch program. The company plans to price 8.25 million shares at $6.50 each, reduced from $8 to $10 per share. The company will offer 7.55 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 694,000 million shares. The IPO is to start trading on November 14.

Underwriters: Morgan Keegan and Jefferies are the joint-lead managers. The co-manager is Thomas Wiesel Partners.

Selected Principal Owners: Sky Capital Enterprises, NCL, S20 International Limited Golden Sky Partnership, Interbaltic Investments Oy, Trehaven Leisure, and Hanzano Holdings.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductor Index: up 11.4 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

—IntraLinks is a New York City-based provider of secure online workspaces. In 2004, it serviced over 600 customers in 16 countries. IntraLinks plans to price 4 million shares at $14 to $16 each. The company will offer 2.67 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 1.33 million shares. The IPO is to start trading on November 17.

For the year ending December 30, 2004, IntraLinks reported a net loss of $15.2 million on revenues of $36.9 million, compared with a net loss of $14.6 million on revenues of $25.4 million for the same period a year ago. For the nine months ending September 30, IntraLinks reported a net loss of $3.4 million on revenues of $38.1 million, compared with a net loss of $5.9 million on revenues of $26.4 million for the same period a year ago. As of September 30, IntraLinks had an accumulated deficit of $164.3 million. Formed in 1996, IntraLinks has about 241 employees.

Underwriters: JPMorgan and UBS Investment Bank are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are William Blair and RBC Capital Markets.

Selected Principal Shareholders: Rho Ventures, TowerBrook Investors, Reuters, Apax Partners, and Canaan.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Business Support Services Index: up 6.45 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

—SunPower is a Sunnyvale, California-based designer of solar power products, which are semiconductor devices that directly convert sunlight into electricity. SunPower plans to price 7.7 million shares of “Class A” common stock at $12 to $14 per share. The company will offer 2.5 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 7.5 million shares. The IPO is to start trading on November 18.

For the year ending December 30, 2004, SunPower reported a pro forma net loss of $28.9 million on total revenues of $10.9 million compared with a net loss of $14.5 million on total revenues of $5 million for the same period a year ago. For the nine months ending September 30, SunPower reported a pro forma net loss of $15.2 million on total revenues of $49.4 million, compared with a net loss of $18.6 million on total revenues of $6.2 million for the same period a year ago. As of September 30, SunPower had an accumulated deficit of $57.9 million. Formed in 1985, SunPower has about 194 employees.

Underwriters: Credit Suisse First Boston and Lehman Brothers are the joint-lead managers. Co-managers are SG Cowen and First Albany.

Selected Principal Shareholders: Cypress Semiconductor owns about 52 million shares of “Class B” common stock, which represents about 87 percent of the voting power.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductor Index: up 11.4 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

—Vimicro International is a Beijing, China-based fabless semiconductor company developing products and solutions for the Chinese consumer electronics and communications markets. It plans to price 8.7 million American Depositary Shares (ADS) at $11 to $13 each. The company will offer 6.75 million ADS and selling shareholders will offer 1.95 million ADS. The IPO is to start trading on November 15.

As of September 30, Vimicro International had an accumulated deficit of $19.4 million. Formed in 1999, Vimicro International has about 324 employees.

Underwriters: Morgan Stanley is the lead manager. Acting as co-managers are Merrill Lynch, Needham, and Piper Jaffray.

Selected Principal Shareholders: General Atlantic, Power Pacific (Mauritius), Infotech Ventures Cayman, Z&D Asset Management, Pioneer Leader Trading, Printout Technology, Great Venture International, Spring River Investment Henry New Enterprise, Capital Group Resources, and Palio Management Group.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductor Index: up 11.4 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

‘Picks of the Week’

—IntercontinentalExchange is an Atlanta-based electronic global futures and over-the-counter marketplace for the trading of energy products. It plans to price 10 million shares at $18 to $20 each. The company will offer 2.5 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 7.5 million shares. The IPO is to start trading on November 16.

For the year ending December 30, 2004, IntercontinentalExchange reported net income of $21.9 million on total revenues of $108.4 million, compared with net income of $13.4 million on total revenues of $93.7 million for the same period a year ago. For the nine months ending September 30, IntercontinentalExchange reported net income of $26.5 million on total revenues of $114.6 million, compared with net income of $17.1 million on total revenues of $79.9 million for the same period a year ago. Formed in 2000, IntercontinentalExchange has about 194 employees.

Underwriters: Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are the joint-lead managers. Co-managers are William Blair, Sandler O’Neill Partners, and SG Corporate & Investing Banking.

Selected Principal Shareholders: Morgan Stanley Capital Group, The Goldman Sachs Group, Total Investments USA, BP Products North America, Société Générale Financial, ST Exchange, AEP Investments, Mirant Americas Energy Marketing, Duke Energy Trading Exchange, El Paso Merchant Energy North America, TA Associates Funds, DB Structured Products, and MHC Investment.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index: up 7.82 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

—Under Armour is a Baltimore-based distributor of branded performance products for men, women, and children. It plans to price 12 million shares at $7.50 to $9.50 each. The company will offer 9.5 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 2.5 million shares. The IPO is to start trading on November 18.

For the year ending December 30, 2004, Under Armour reported net income of $14.3 million on net revenues of $205.2 million, compared with net income of $5.3 million on net revenues of $115.4 million for the same period a year ago. For the nine months ending September 30, Under Armour reported net income of $10.9 million on net revenues of $193.8 million, compared with net income of $8.7 million on net revenues of $135.5 million for the same period a year ago. Formed in 1996, Under Armour has about 574 employees.

Underwriters: Goldman Sachs is the lead manager. Acting as co-managers are CIBC World Markets, Wachovia Securities, Piper Jaffray, and Thomas Wiesel Partners.

Selected Principal Shareholder: Rosewood Capital

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Footwear Index: up 7.59 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

The Dutch Auction

—Dover Saddlery is a Littleton, Massachusetts-based specialty retailer of upscale equestrian products for the English-style riding industry. The company offers its products through catalogs, the Internet, and retail stores. Dover Saddlery plans to price 2.5 million shares at $12 to $16 each through a Dutch auction. The company will offer 1.2 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 1.3 million shares. The IPO is to start trading on November 18. Formed in 1975, Dover Saddlery has about 304 employees.

Underwriter: W.R. Hambrecht+Co is the lead manager.

Selected Principal Shareholder: Citizen Ventures

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Specialty Retail Index: up 8.41 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

The Insurance IPO

—AMERISAFE is a DeRidder, Louisiana-based provider of workers’ compensation insurance for small- to mid-sized employers engaged in hazardous industries, such as construction, trucking, logging, agriculture, oil and gas, maritime, and sawmills. It plans to price 8 million shares at $9 to $10 each. The IPO is to start trading on November 18.

As of September 30, AMERISAFE had an accumulated deficit of $58.3 million. Formed in 1986, AMERISAFE has about 437 employees.

Underwriters: Friedman Billings Ramsey and William Blair are the joint-lead managers.

52-week Percentage Change:

Dow Jones U.S. Property & Casualty Insurance Index: up 20.4 percent

Nasdaq Composite Index: up 6.94 percent

The ‘Blank Checks’

—Endeavor Acquisition plans to price 25 million shares at $8 each to trade during the week of November 14. Underwriters: Ladenburg Thalmann and Broadband Capital Management.

—JK Acquisition plans to price 10 million shares at $6 each to trade during the week of November 14. Underwriter: Ferris Baker Watts.