June’s final week ushers in an end-of-the-quarter rush of IPOs. It’s a heavy new-issues calendar by recent standards with 11 deals on the launching pad. And a few are finger-licking good. They are on everybody’s “most wanted” list.

To end the suspense, here’s what the IPO experts see as the best: Aventine Renewable Energy, a Pekin, Illinois-based ethanol producer and distributor; J. Crew Group, a New York City-based specialty retailer of preppy apparel; and Gmarket, a Seoul, South Korea-based e-commerce retailer. Four other deals bear watching.

The 11 deals are expected to raise about $1.34 billion. Here are the highlights:

Aventine Renewable conjures up visions of the VeraSun Energy IPO that was priced on June 13 at $23 per share. It closed its opening day at $30, up 30 percent from its initial offering price. VeraSun is a Brookings, South Dakota-based ethanol producer.

J. Crew has a few things going for it. The company is the first specialty retailer to go public this year. Some specialty retailers’ IPOs were among 2005’s best aftermarket performers. They were Citi Trends and Zumiez. Here’s the lowdown on these two:

Citi Trends, of Savannah, Georgia, is a value-priced retailer of urban fashion apparel and accessories. It priced its IPO at $14 per share on May 18, 2005. On December 30, the IPO closed at $42.69, up 205 percent from its initial offering price and No. 1 on 2005’s IPO hit parade.

Zumiez, of Everett, Washington, is a specialty retailer offering action sports-related apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories. It priced its IPO at $18 per share on May 5, 2005. On December 30, the IPO closed at $43.22, up 140 percent from its initial offering price, No. 5 for the year.

Gmarket has an interesting shareholder. It is Yahoo! Korea, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yahoo! It owns 4.5 million shares, or about 10 percent of the outstanding stock, of Gmarket.

Bidz.com, of Culver City, California, is an online auctioneer of jewelry, watches and other related items. It is a fast-growing and profitable dot-com operation. Consider its financials: For the three months ending March 31, Bidz.com reported net income of $3.3 million on net revenues of $34.7 million, compared with net income of $243,000 on net revenues of $20.7 million for the same period a year ago.

Replidyne, of Louisville, Colorado, is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing innovative anti-infective products. Even the casual observer of the IPO market knows biopharmaceutical IPOs have been anything but investors’ delights. Most of these IPOs see their offering terms slashed ahead of being priced, and then watch them struggle in the aftermarket. If they have collaboration agreements, it’s a different story. Replidyne does. In February, Replidyne received $50 million from Forest Laboratories to co-develop and co-market Replidyne’s leading product, Orapem, in the United States as well as grant Forest Laboratories a first refusal right to market Orapem in Canada. Replidyne received another payment of $10 million March 2006.

Inside this Week’s IPO Calendar

Among the current offerings are a biopharmaceutical company (Replidyne), an ethanol producer and distributor (Aventine Renewable Energy), a computer services company (Omniture), two Internet-related companies (Bidz.com and Gmarket), a window and door manufacturer (PGT), a restaurant chain operator (Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group), a semiconductor company (Wintegra), a specialty retailer (J. Crew Group), and two “blank check” companies, otherwise known as a SPACs, or “special purpose acquisition companies” (Crossfire Capital and Millennium India Acquisition Partners).

Aventine Renewable Energy believes it sold about 13.5 percent of the total ethanol volume in the United States in 2005. It plans to price 7.8 million shares at $37 to $41 each to raise $302 million. The company will offer 6.4 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 1.4 million shares.The IPO is to start trading on Thursday.

For the three months ending March 31, Aventinereported net income of $12.2 million on sales of $314 million, compared with net income of $6.6 million on sales of $197 million for the same period a year ago. Formed in 1981, the company has about 290 employees.

Underwriters: Banc of America, Friedman Billings Ramsey, and Goldman Sachs are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are Harris Nesbitt, JPMorgan, and UBS Investment Bank. Selected Principal Shareholders: Aventine Holdings, Touradji Global Resources Master Fund, and American Funds Insurance Asset Allocation. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Specialty Chemical Index, up 9.52 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.35 percent.

Bidz.com claims to average daily sales of about 7,000 items of gold, platinum, and silver jewelry set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other precious and semiprecious stones, as well as watches. The company believes it is the second-largest online retailer of jewelry based on revenue. It also believes it is the largest online jewelry auction Internet site, based on web traffic.

Bidz.com plans to price 6.2 million shares at $8 to $10 each to raise $55.7 million. The company will offer 5 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 1.2 million shares.The IPO is to start trading on Thursday. Last year, Bidz.com reported net income of $771,000 on net revenue of $90.6 million, compared with a net loss of $5.8 million on net revenues of $65.3 million for the same period a year ago. As of March 31, Bidz.com reported an accumulated deficit of $23.7 million. Formed in 1998, Bidz.com has about 168 employees.

Underwriters: ThinkEquity Partners is the lead manager. Acting as co-managers are Pacific Growth Equities and Susquehanna Financial Group. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Specialized Customer Services Index, down 13.3 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent

Gmarket offers buyers a selection of products and gives sellers a comprehensive and flexible sales solution. Gmarket derives its revenues from transaction fees on the sale of products on its web site, as well as from advertising fees and other sources.

Gmarket plans to price 9.1 million American Depositary Shares (ADS) at $13.25 to $15.25 each to raise $130 million. Each ADS represents one share of common stock. The company will offer 6.1 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 3 million shares.The IPO is to start trading on Friday.

For the three months ending March 31, Gmarket reported net income of KRW 2 million ($2 million) on total revenues of KRW 28.3 million ($29.2 million), compared with a net loss of KRW 200,000 on total revenues of KRW 9.49 million for the same period a year ago. Formed in 2000, Gmarket has about 276 employees.

Underwriters: Goldman Sachs International and Cowen are the joint-lead managers. Acting as a co-manager is Thomas Weisel Partners. Selected Principal Shareholder: Interpark Corp., A. Bohl Praktijk B.V., Yahoo! Korea, and Techno Pacific Assets Limited. 52-Week Percentage Change:

Selected Principal Shareholder:

Dow Jones U.S. Specialized Customer Services Index, down 13.3 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.35 percent.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based operator of upscale brewery restaurants. Gordon Biersch operates 26 company restaurants in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Gordon Biersch operates 17 restaurants under its own name and nine regionally branded restaurants, such as BigRiver, A1A Aleworks, SevenBridges and Ragtime Tavern.

The company plans to price 4.45 million shares at $10 to $12 each to raise $49 million. The price range has been reduced from $11 to $13 per share. The company will offer 4.31 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 142,534 shares.The IPO is to start trading on Wednesday.

In the first quarter, Gordon Biersch reported net income of $136,000 before accrued dividends and accretion on convertible preferred stock on revenues of $27 million, compared with net income of $226,000 before accrued dividends and accretion on convertible preferred stock on revenues of $23.8 million for the same period a year ago. As of March 26, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group reported an accumulated deficit of $23.2 million. Formed in 1987, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group has about 2,283 employees.

Gordon Biersch Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group

Underwriters: Thomas Weisel Partners and BB&T Capital Markets are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-manager is Morgan Keegan. Selected Principal Shareholders: HancockPark Capital II, and RSTW Partners III. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Restaurants & Bars Index, up 10.4 percent (BJRI); Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent.

J. Crew Group is a New York City-based specialty retailer offering apparel and accessories under the iconic J. Crew brand. The company is known for high standards of style, craftsmanship, quality, and customer service offered through 164 retail outlets, its J. Crew catalog, and on the Internet.

J. Crew plans to price 18.8 million shares at $15 to $17 each to raise $300.8 million. The IPO is to start trading on Wednesday. For the 13 weeks ending April 29, the company reported net income from operations of $28.3 million on revenues of $240.7 million, compared with net income from operations of $22.9 million on revenues of $210.5 million for the same period a year ago. Formed in 1983, J. Crew Group has about 6,900 employees.

Underwriters: Goldman Sachs and Bear Stearns are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are Banc of America Securities, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers, and Wachovia Securities. Selected Principal Shareholder: TPG Advisors. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Apparel Retailers Index, down 1.3 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent.

Omniture is an Orem, Utah-based provider of online business optimization software. Customers use the company’s products to manage online, off-line, and multichannel business initiatives. The company services more than 1,000 customers, including America Online, Apple Computer, eBay, Expedia, Ford, Gannett, Hewlett-Packard, Major League Baseball, and Microsoft.

Omniture plans to price 10.7 million shares at $7.50 to $9 each to raise $88.3 million. The company will offer 8.7 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 2 million shares.The IPO is to start trading on Wednesday. For the three months ending March 31, Omniture reported a net loss of $3.4 million on total revenues of $16.4 million compared with a net loss of $16.4 million on total revenues of $8 million for the same period a year ago. As of March 31, Omniture reported an accumulated deficit of $34.5 million. Formed in 1996, Omniture has about 312 employees.

Underwriters: Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan. Selected Principal Shareholders: BAVP VII, Cocolalla, Erutinmo, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, SSWRTW Trust and TPP Capital Advisors. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Software Index, down 3 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent.

Selected Principal Shareholders:

PGT is a North Venice, Florida-based manufacturer of residential impact-resistant windows and doors. It distributes its products through about 1,300 window distributors, building supply distributors, window replacement dealers, and enclosure contractors.

PGT plans to price 8.82 million shares at $16 to $18 each to raise $150 million. The IPO is to start trading on Wednesday. For the first quarter ended April 1, PGT reported a loss of $14.1 million on net sales of $96.4 million, compared with net income of $4.8 million on net sales of $79.4 million for the same period a year ago. Formed in 1980, PGT has about 2,400 employees.

Underwriters: Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are JMP Securities, Raymond James, and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Selected Principal Shareholders: JLL Partners Fund IV. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Building Materials & Fixtures Index: up 0.2 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent.

Selected Principal Shareholders:

Replidyne’s lead product is Orapem, an antibiotic. In February 2006, Replidyne entered into a collaboration and commercialization agreement with Forest Laboratories to co-develop and co-market Orapem in the United States. It granted Forest Laboratories a first refusal right to market Orapem in Canada. Replidyne received an up-front payment of $50 million in February 2006 and a milestone payment of $10 million in March 2006.

Replidyne plans to price 5 million shares at $14 to $16 each to raise $75 million. The IPO is to start trading on Wednesday. For the three months ending March 31, Replidyne reported a net loss of $10.4 million on revenue of $2.9 million, compared with a net loss of $6.7 million on revenue of $267,000 for the same period a year ago. As of March 31, Replidyne reported an accumulated deficit of $92.5 million. Formed in 2000, Replidyne has about 61 employees.

Underwriters: Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are Cowen and Pacific Growth Equities. Selected Principal Shareholders: Duquesne Capital, HealthCare Investment Partners Holdings,HealthCare Ventures VI, Morgenthaler, OZ Master Fund, PerseusSoros Biopharmaceutical Fund, Sequel Limited Partnership III, and TPG Biotechnology Partners. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Pharmaceutical Index, down 7.1 percent;

Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent

Wintegra is an Austin, Texas-based semiconductor company that makes semiconductors, or chips, used to deliver new services for the evolving communications network infrastructure. Its solutions are used by leading communications original equipment manufacturers, such as Carrier Access, Cisco Systems, Corecess, ECI Telecom, Fujitsu, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, RAD Data Communications, Siemens AG, Tellabs, Zhone Technologies, and ZyXel Communications.

Wintegra plans to price 5 million shares at $12 to $14 each to raise $65 million. The price range has been reduced from $11 to $13 per share. The company will offer 3.2 million shares and selling shareholders will offer 1.8 million shares.The IPO is to start trading on Wednesday. In the first quarter, Wintegra reported net income of $762,000 on total revenues of $7.2 million, compared with a loss of $673,000 on total revenues of $3.4 million for the same period a year ago. As of March 31, Wintegra reported an accumulated deficit of $35.1 million. Formed in 2000, Wintegra has about 107 employees.

Underwriters: Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are the joint-lead managers. Acting as co-managers are CIBC World Markets and Thomas Weisel Partners. Selected Principal Shareholders: Magnum Communications Fund, Concord Ventures, Herzelia, Genesis Partners, Marvell Semiconductor Israel, Texas Instruments, Plenus Technologies, PMC-Sierra, China Development Industrial Bank, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, and American Friends of Tmura. 52-Week Percentage Change: Dow Jones U.S. Semiconductor Index, up 5.7 percent; Nasdaq Composite Index, up 2.4 percent.

Selected Principal Shareholders:

The SPACs:

Crossfire Capital, a New York City-based “blank check” company, plans to offer 10 million units at $6 each. Each unit consists of one common share and two warrants. The IPO is to start trading during the week of June 26. Underwriters: Ferris Baker Watts and Ladenburg Thalmann are the joint-lead managers.

Millennium India Acquisition, a New York City-based “blank check” company, plans to offer 8.5 million units at $8 each. Each unit consists of one common share and one warrant. The IPO is to start trading during the week of June 26. Underwriters: Ladenburg Thalmann is the lead manager. Acting as co-managers are Ferris Baker Watts and Maxim Group.

Contact the writer:Editorial@RedHerring.com