the JCP offering
JCP filed a preliminary prospectus with the SEC indicating it is selling 84 million shares of common stock to the public at $9.52 a share through Goldman Sachs. (In a typical provision of any offering called the “overallotment,” Goldman has permission to sell another 12.8 million shares if it can.)
Let’s say Goldman gets a commission of $.22 a share. That would mean proceeds to JCP of $781 million – $900 million.
business stabilizing
Just in advance of the red herring, JCP filed an 8-K in which it said it expected comparable store sales to be positive during both 3Q13 and 4Q13. The reason? …merchandise that JCP customers want to buy is now in stock, and in the sizes that JCP customers fit.
three aspects of the offering
I hadn’t intended to write so much about JCP, but I think there are three interesting aspects to the offering.
1. the size
This is a big offering, amounting to over a third of the shares already outstanding.
2. why a stock offering?
For companies like JCP that want to raise a lot of capital, their first thought is to borrow. It’s easier to do. Transaction costs are lower. Also, Americans firmly believe that debt is a lower-cost form of capital than debt, so borrowing is more beneficial for shareholders.
There comes a point, however, when lenders perceive the capital structure of a firm has become too lopsided. When that happens, they will refuse to lend any more until the firm demonstrates Wall Street’s confidence in it by raising equity capital.
I assume we’re at that point for JCP.
why not six weeks ago?
After all, the sales projections JCP made in the 8-K are better, I think, than Wall Street had been assuming. So it’s unlikely that JCP’s need for cash is greater now than it was a few weeks ago.
It’s also hard to think that a big company like JCP would not do continuous financial forecasting of its future cash flows that would indicate when it would need fresh funds, and in what amounts.
I don’t know the answer.
One obvious difference between now and the end of August, however, is that in the meantime two insiders, Pershing Square and Vornado, have unloaded their entire stakes, 52 million shares (!!), at a reported price of about $13 each. That’s 36% higher than JCP itself is getting today.
I guess you might argue that everyone knew the two activists would be selling, and that this overhang would be enough to scupper a potential offering by JCP. Seems pretty lame, though.
Me, I’m nonplussed (the first time I’ve used that word in my life). If I were a JCP shareholder, I’d be stunned. Maybe we just chalk this up as one of the perils of riding the coattails of latter-day robber barons. But if I were a shareholder, I’d want to know how the board allowed this to happen.
On September 20th, JCP’s controller left the company. Is this connected?