Lucid Group, the embattled luxury electric vehicle (EV) maker, saw its stock prices tumble Thursday as it unveiled plans to market around 637 million shares to investors, aiming to raise a total of $1.67 billion. The company also projected larger quarterly losses than previously estimated.
In a regulatory filing, Lucid Group insisted that it would make 262.4 million shares available in a public offer. The underwriters were also offered the opportunity to acquire an extra 39.4 million shares within a 30-day period.
Furthermore, the company's primary shareholder, Ayar Third Investment Company, an affiliate of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), indicated its intention to buy another 374.7 million shares via a private placement that will coincide with the public sale. Following the purchase, Ayar's stake in Lucid is set to rise to 58.8%. If the underwriters decide to exercise their option, Ayar plans to increase its shareholding further.
Lucid Group has pointed out that the revenue from both the public and private sales would be utilised for general corporate purposes, which could entail capital expenditures or working capital.
Alongside this share offering, the company forecasts a Q3 loss ranging from $765 million to $790 million, notably surpassing Visible Alpha analysts' estimates of around $756 million. However, the company's anticipated revenue between $199 million to $200 million exceeds predictions. The firm is due to reveal its financial results on November 7.
The news resulted in Lucid Group's shares dropping nearly 15% at the outset of trading Thursday. Overall, the company's shares have shed a third of their value this year.