Global Banks Withdraw from SPACs After Creating Blank-Check Frenzy

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Only a few years after helping to create a massive market for blank-check companies, banks are backing away from the deals, fearful of the risks. According to Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is ending its involvement with the majority of the special purpose acquisition companies it took public and halting new SPAC issuance in the… Continue reading Global Banks Withdraw from SPACs After Creating Blank-Check Frenzy

U.S. Regulators Tighten Rules on SPAC Deals

New SEC rules for SPACs

U.S. securities regulators proposed new rules for shell investment companies on Wednesday, tightening a path for companies to go public that has been criticized for sacrificing investor protections. The new rules aim to put firms formed solely for the purpose of merging with another entity, known as special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), on an equal… Continue reading U.S. Regulators Tighten Rules on SPAC Deals

Some Insurtech Companies Get Multibillion-Dollar Valuations

New SEC rules for SPACs

A number of insurtech startups are coming to market through blank-check companies. Here are valuations of several that have announced special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) plans. COMPANY                                      IMPLIED ENTERPRISE VALUE CCC Information Services Inc        $7.0 billion Hippo… Continue reading Some Insurtech Companies Get Multibillion-Dollar Valuations

Kin Insurance to Go Public Via Matt Higgins SPAC Deal

New SEC rules for SPACs

Kin Insurance Inc., an insurance-technology startup that counts golfer Rory McIlroy among its investors, has agreed to go public through a merger with Omnichannel Acquisition Corp., a blank-check firm led by Matt Higgins, a longtime investor who has appeared as a “Shark Tank” judge. “We were searching for a digitally fueled business that was going… Continue reading Kin Insurance to Go Public Via Matt Higgins SPAC Deal

Wall Street Grapples with New SPAC Equity Contracts after SEC’s Crackdown

New SEC rules for SPACs

Wall Street accountants and lawyers are trying to figure out new equity agreements to lure investors back to the blank-check company market after the U.S. regulator cracked down on the use of warrants, six industry executives told Reuters. They are discussing jettisoning warrants issued by special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, in favor of rights agreements,… Continue reading Wall Street Grapples with New SPAC Equity Contracts after SEC’s Crackdown

Tick-Tock: SPACs Increasingly Under Pressure to Find Quality Mergers

New SEC rules for SPACs

Blank-check companies, aka special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), already have stiff competition in finding firms with which to merge. Now, with recent share-price declines and a ticking clock to take companies public, the pressure to do so is ramping up even more. The new challenges for creators of SPACs result in part from the abundance of… Continue reading Tick-Tock: SPACs Increasingly Under Pressure to Find Quality Mergers