Morning Roundup: January 2, 2024

At the SPAC of Dawn

The first trading day of the year kicks off with five extension votes, which is fitting because that is likely to be a theme throughout early 2024.

As noted in SPACInsider‘s Full Year 2023 SPAC Review, 22 SPACs are currently heading into their maximum deadline this month and will either need shareholder consent for an extension or will liquidate. This big tally in January is but a prelude to February and March where the number of SPACs staring down a deadline within the month is set to balloon to 38 and 33, respectively.

But, on a whole, SPACs are ushering in a new year that has a lot more optimism in the air than existed for the asset class in January 2023. The SPAC cycle has also already put a large amount of the bloodletting behind it with 193 liquidations in 2023.

The active SPAC market is still plump coming around the bend from the holidays, however, with 268 SPACs in the Searching and Announced categories to start the year.

Deals and Funding

• Twelve Seas Investment Company II (NASDAQ:TWLV) has signed a definitive agreement to combine with aquatic entertainment firm Crystal Lagoons for $350 million in share compensation.

News and Rumors

• PR: EV maker VinFast (NASDAQ:VFS) opened its first five dealerships in four US states, which it aims to expand to 125 points of sale across the country. It combined with Black Spade in August 2023.
• C21Media: Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) has completed its $375 million acquisition of film studio eOne, which will form a part of its Lionsgate Studios branch. It announced it would spin off Lionsgate Studios in a combination with Screaming Eagle (NASDAQ:SCRM) on December 22.
• SCMP: The Hong Kong stock exchange is facing calls to further ease its SPAC listing requirements after no new SPACs were listed on the HKEX in 2023.

Scheduling Notes