Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hello, Pat. I’m wondering what you think about Planet Fitness. Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Planet Fitness Inc., $86.85, symbol PLNT on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 84.4 million; Market cap: $7.7 billion; www.planetfitness.com), is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centres in the U.S. as measured by number of members and number of locations. The company was founded in 1992 in Dover, New Hampshire. As of December 31, 2021, Planet Fitness had 15.2 million members and 2,254 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico and Australia. On January 11, 2022, the company announced a major acquisition when it agreed to buy Sunshine Fitness Growth Holdings LLC for $800 million. Sunshine Fitness is currently Planet Fitness’s largest franchisee. Sunshine Fitness was the first franchisee in the Planet Fitness system and has been backed by private equity fund TSG Consumer Partners since 2017. Sunshine Fitness started from one location in Altamonte Springs, Florida, in 2003. It now has facilities in five states in the U.S. southeast. TSG’s involvement with the…