These SPACs had the greatest returns since announcing their mergers in 2020
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), also known as blank check vehicles, have raised a record $82.1 billion in 2020 as of Dec. 24 — a sixfold increase from last year’s record high, according to data from Dealogic. Throughout the year, these companies have been busy in the cannabis, green technology, and sports-betting arenas, scooping up corporations like DraftKings and Nikola.
It should come as no surprise that SPAC was among our most popular investing terms on Investopedia in 2020.
Here are the some of the SPACs with the highest returns following the announcement of their deals:
- Live Oak Acquisition Corp – Founded by private equity veteran Richard Hendrix and investment banker Gary Wunderlich, Live Oak Acquisition priced an IPO in May 2020 and subsequently announced a business combination with biopolymer manufacturer Danimer Scientific. Since then the SPAC gained 171% in value.
- Kensington Capital Acquisition – Kensington Capital Partners launched Kensington Capital Acquisition to purchase a business in the automotive sector. After launching its IPO in June, Kensington announced a deal with next-gen battery company Quantumscape in September.1 Since then, shares in Kensington increased by 162%.
- TPG Pace Beneficial Finance – Private equity firm TPG launched this SPAC to merge with a business focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns. TPG Pace priced an IPO in October and committed to a combination with EVBox Group, a provider of EV charging technologies, in early December.2 Since then, the SPAC has gained 154% in value.
- Longview Acquisition Corp – Larry Robbins’ Glenview Capital Management launched Longview in the hopes of purchasing a healthcare company. The SPAC IPO’d in July and announced a business combination with digital health company Butterfly Network in late November.3 Since then, shares in Longview jumped 110%.
- dMY Technology Group – dMY was founded by tech executives Harry You and Niccolo de Masi to “unlock the value and potential of companies that have created compelling mobile app experiences.” The blank check company launched its IPO in February and subsequently announced a business combination with online gaming company Rush Street Interactive.4 Since then, shares in dMY jumped by 97%.
Source: Investopedia – Top Performing SPACs of 2020