Francesca’s Holdings files IPO

New York City -- Women’s fashion apparel retailer Francesca's Holdings Corp. filed for up to an estimated $150 million to be raised in an initial public offering. The company has about $41.4 million in proceeds from the offering earmarked toward repaying a senior secured credit facility, Dow Jones Newswires reported. Remaining funds may be used for opening new stores and growing its e-commerce business. For the year ended Jan. 29, Francesca's same-store sales climbed 15% on top of a 9.8% increase a year earlier. The company, whose stores operate under the Francesca’s Collections banner, plans to list its stock