At the SPAC of Dawn
Good morning! Watch this space moving forward as a roundup of evening filings as well as news nuggets to nibble on beside your morning coffee.
With yet another high-profile regular-way IPO breaking price on its debut in the form of Birkenstock (NYSE:BIRK), there is still a palpable chill in the air around new issuance despite other strong signs in the market.
The previous three IPOs Klayviyo (NYSE:KVYO), Davis (NASDAQ:DTCK) and Instacart (NASDAQ:CART) all last closed above their offering price, but Birkenstock’s -12.6% drop on day one does provide a sour note.
SPACs themselves have now consistently logged positive day-one performances in their own IPOs after nearly two full years in the negative. But, of course, performance following de-SPAC is another story.
With new uncertainty in the Middle East, the market appears to have priced in things being bad there, according to Marco Associates Chairman and CEO Nouriel Roubini, but are discounting the possibility of it getting a sharp side worse.
Nonetheless, the events have provided a new source of gloom for overall business sentiment that may not jive well with sandals in October.
News and Rumors
- Reuters: VinFast Auto (NASDAQ:VFS), which combined with Black Spade in August, announced its intention to purchase a 99.8% stake in battery producer VinES from its founder, Pham Nhat Vuong, to enhance its integration within the production value chain and strengthen its competitive edge.
- Barrons: Polestar, which completed its merger with Gores Guggenheim in 2022, disclosed its intent to raise $1 billion in a share offering, sending its shares down approximately -2.4%.
- Inside Asian Gaming: Okada Manila, which has been plagued with internal drama and a messy breakup with 26 Capital, nonetheless posted 9% revenue growth and 15.5% EBITDA growth in the third quarter of 2023.
Subscription Agreements
- Perception Capital Corp. II (NASDAQ:PCCT) has signed on to a PIPE agreement with Dr. Jörg Mosolf, who has agreed to individually purchase 50,000 shares in the SPAC’s target Spectaire at $10 per share upfront and $3 million-worth more over the two years following close.
- Digital World Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:DWAC) has continued to renegotiate its PIPE as a part of deal amendments the SPAC announced with Trump Media & Technology Group in August. Commitments to the original $1 billion PIPE have now whittled down to $533 million, which Digital World is spinning as a positive in removing a hindrance to the combination being concluded swiftly.
Scheduling Notes
- Leo Holdings Corp. II (NYSE:LHC) adjourned its extension meeting yesterday until 10 am ET October 12.
Mobiv Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:MOBV) announced this afternoon that it has closed its combination with EV motorcycle-maker SRIVARU. Shareholders originally approved the deal at a special meeting held back on September 28, but at that time, the parties expected the transaction to take just a week to close. Redemptions whittled Mobiv’s IPO share pool of 10,005,000 down...
Achari Ventures I (NASDAQ:AVHI) has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with medtech firm Vaso Corporation at an equity value of $176 million, or 19.5x its 2022 adjusted EBITDA. Wuxi, China-based Vaso provides IT services and sales support to medical device manufacturers. The combined company is expected to trade on the Nasdaq under the...
EF Hutton Acquisition Corp. I (NASDAQ:EFHT) announced this morning that its shareholders have approved its business combination with E.C.D. Auto Design. At the meeting, there were 5,089,203 shares of common stock, representing approximately 76.82% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, present. In connection with the meeting, the company’s stockholders holding 3,470,945 shares,...
Legato Merger Corp. III (NYSE:LEGT) filed for a $175 million IPO yesterday afternoon, becoming the fourth SPAC to file this week. While the other three SPACs that filed their S-1s earlier this week intend to pursue targets in the financial services and biotech industries, Legato III, similar to the earlier Legato SPACs, will focus on...
At the SPAC of Dawn This week ends with an unusually busy earnings calendar as 172 US-listed companies report quarterly figures today. Among them is Exela Technologies (NASDSAQ:XELA), which completed a combination with Quinpario 2 in 2017. The billing software company has gone on to do another SPAC deal on November 29, this time spinning...