Sign On
Key takeaways
- Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) issuance has exploded in 2020, with volume in the third quarter alone exceeding total volume in 2019.
- A confluence of factors – including a financial system flush with cash, economic uncertainty, and maturing private equity portfolios – is collectively reinvigorating SPACs, also called “blank check” companies.
- Investors are attracted to the potential for “liquid private equity” with reduced downside risk, an overly simplistic characterization that we believe bears caution, while sponsors and owners like the efficiency and economics versus a traditional initial public offering (IPO).
- But SPACs are complicated and difficult to underwrite. Investors need to understand the mechanics of the IPO process, as well as key areas to focus on before committing capital.
