HOWWEGOTHERETheriseofSPACsisattractingcallsfornewrulesfromtheSecuritiesandExchangeCommissionandCapitolHill.AtissueareconcernsthatSPACbackersaren’tdisclosingenoughinformationtoinvestorsandshouldpotentiallyfacemorelegalliabilityforpromisesaboutfuturereturns.PolicymakersarebeginningtozeroinonSPACsafterlargelylettingthemarketrunwildforthepastyear.SPACsaren’tnew—havingbeenaroundsincethe1990s—buttheysawamajorupswinginpopularityin2020ascompaniessoughtwaystogopublicinarisingmarketandinvestorswereonthehuntforexposuretohotindustriesliketech.In2020,theyraisedarecord$83billion.SPACorganizersareallowedtolistwhatareessentiallyshellcompaniesonstockexchangeswiththeunderstandingthattheywillusecapitalraisedtomergewithprivatefirmsandtakethempublic,generallywithintwoyears.IfaSPACfailstofinishadeal,itmustreturnmoneytoinvestors.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

The New Rules for SPACs June 11, 2021

PROPOINTS| Regulatorsandlawmakersareplottingnewrulesforspecial-purposeacquisitioncompanies,otherwiseknownasSPACs,thathavebeenoneofthehotteststockmarketinvestmentcrazesofthepandemic.| SPACs,whosebackersincludeentertainersandathletessuchasShaquilleO’Neal,havenocommercialoperationsbutaspartofaninitialpublicofferingpromiseinvestorstheywillbuyprivatefirmsthatwillthenbeabletoraisecapitalonstockexchanges.| Policymakersareconcernedthatinvestorsdon’tunderstandtherisksofinvestinginSPACs,includingtheextenttowhichSPACsponsorswillreapfeesfromanydealmaking.| TheaddedscrutinycomesasthemarketforSPACsrecentlycooledoff,afteraboomthateclipsedtraditionalIPOs.

WHAT’SNEXTSECChairGaryGensler,whohasalongtrackrecordofcrackingdownonWallStreet,hastaskedtheagency’sstaffwithsketchingoutpossiblenewrulesorguidanceforSPACs,whichhecalls“blankcheckIPOs.”GenslersaystherecentsurgehasraisedquestionsaboutwhetherretailinvestorsarereceivingaccurateinformationateachstageoftheSPAClifecycleandarefacingthebruntofthecostswhenearlyinvestorscashoutandadvisersreapfees. Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has proposed a bill that would require more disclosures to investors, in light of the concerns that SPAC promoters can extract large fees. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Financial Services subcommittee on capital markets, proposed a separate bill that would remove legal protections that allow SPAC promoters to avoid lawsuits over statements they make about future business performance when they pitch the investment. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warns that removing legal protections would trigger the business group’s opposition.

POWERPLAYERS | JohnCoates,SECActingDirectorofCorporationFinance:Coates,whowasaHarvardUniversitylawandeconomicsprofessorpriortojoiningtheSEC,leadstheagency’sworkonrulesgoverninginvestoraccesstoinformationfrompubliclytradedcompanies.CoatesraisedalarmsaboutSPACtransactionsinseveralpublicstatementsthisspring,includingonethatwarnedcompaniesgoingpublicthroughSPACmergersshouldn’tassumelesslegalriskthanwithatraditionalIPO.| SECCommissionerHesterPeirce:Peirce,oneoftwoRepublicanSECcommissioners,ispoisedtoleadinternaloppositiontonewSECSPACrules.Shesaystheycouldreducethecost-effectivenessofSPACsandrestrictinvestoraccesstohigh-growthcompanies.| BillAckman,founderofhedgefundPershingSquare:Ackman,abillionaireinvestor,launchedthelargestSPACeverlastsummerwiththeIPOofPershingSquareTontineHoldings,raising$4billion.It’snowintalkstobuya10%stakeinUniversalMusicGroup,whichisnotablebecauseunlikeatypicalSPACdealitdoesnotinvolveafulltakeover.