Singapore-based ride-hailing company Grab is going public via a special purpose acquisition company merger with Altimeter Growth(NASDAQ:AGC). On Tuesday, Altimeter investors approved of the deal to take Grab public. However, AGC stock is down more than 2% this morning after trending up 3% in after-hours trading.
In a year full of SPAC deals, this may be the largest ever. Grab is Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing and food delivery company, and the region’s most valuable startup. With a valuation as high as $52 billion and comparisons to heavy-weights Uber(NYSE:UBER) and Grubhub, Grab is certainly “grabbing” attention.
Not everything has been positive, however. Grab has seen some of its growth taper recently due to continued Covid-19 spikes in Southeast Asia. Widespread lockdowns in the region have hurt the company’s bottom line in predictable ways. For instance, its third-quarter earnings report on Nov. 11 revealed revenue dropped 9% year over year. The company attributed this decline to lockdowns in Vietnam. With that said, Grab reported a new record for gross merchandise value, and average spending per user hit new highs despite operating challenges.
So with all this in mind, will Grab live up to its sky-high expectations?
Where Will AGC Stock and the Grab SPAC Merger Go?
As per the conditions of a SPAC merger, AGC stock will be converted to Grab stock upon the closing of the merger. This is actually the primary purpose of a SPAC: To acquire and take public a private company while being absorbed in the process. Grab will start trading where AGC stock is at the close of the merger. Right now, shares are going for $12.40 each.
One of the major advantages of a SPAC is timeliness. Traditional IPOs can take more than a year to reach market, weighed down by certain regulatory processes. Grab stock is set to start trading on the Nasdaq, Dec. 2. The companies first announced the merger in April 2021.
Keep an eye on the company to see if the anticipation sizzles or fizzles this Thursday, when Grab hits the open market under the GRAB ticker.
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