Aston Martin filed for an IPO in London that would value the maker of luxury sports cars as high as 5.1 billion pounds ($6.7 billion), seeking a multiple that would approach rival Ferrari NV.

The James Bond carmaker will sell a 25 percent stake at between 17.50 pounds and 22.50 pounds per share, it said Thursday in a statement. Trading will begin on the London Stock Exchange in October.

Aston Martin shareholders are cashing out months before the U.K. leaves the European Union. While the U.K.’s post-Brexit automotive industry is one of the sectors most exposed to potential trade hurdles, the split wasn’t a large factor in the IPO calculations, Chief Financial Officer Mark Wilson has said. Aston Martin is controlled by London-based Investindustrial Advisors Ltd. and Kuwaiti Investment Dar.

One question is whether a niche manufacturer like Aston Martin can deliver for investors like Ferrari, which trades at about 20.5 times its expected adjusted Ebitda for 2018, according to Bloomberg data.

Aston Martin’s proposed price range of 4.02 billion to 5.07 billion pounds would put the British carmaker in a similar range, but analysts are skeptical.

“We love the brand. We respect the management team. But we simply can’t see how a Ferrari multiple looks realistic," Max Warburton, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., said in a research note. “They are selling a business that is loss making on a U.S. GAAP basis, with a weak profitability record and a fragile balance sheet, selling cars at much lower price points, to a much less dedicated audience.”

Daimler AG will conver its holding of about 4.9 percent to ordinary shares, the company said Monday in a statement.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-20/aston-martin-seeks-ferrari-like-6-7-billion-valuation-in-ipo