HYUNDAI’S IPO

HYUNDAI’S IPO

Corporate Finance
Introduction to IPOsIPO stands for Initial Public Offering meaning that shares of a private company are made available to the public for the first time through a stock issuance. In order to have an IPO the company has to satisfy some requirements by the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC).Going public represents a big opportunity for companies as they might be able to raise a lot of equity capital from public investors. Other than the capital perks which might allow the company to grow and expand, listed companies increase transparency and might help obtain better terms when trying to borrow funds.Historically, the first modern IPO is considered to be when the Dutch East India Company offered his shares to the public in 1602. Since the 2008 crisis there’s been a decrease…
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Alphabet in talks to acquire cyber security start-up Wiz for $23bn

Alphabet in talks to acquire cyber security start-up Wiz for $23bn

Corporate Finance
Deal overview Alphabet, through its subsidiary Google, is in negotiations to acquire cybersecurity start-up Wiz for approximately $23 billion, potentially marking the largest acquisition in Alphabet's history. This deal could face significant antitrust scrutiny, as regulators under U.S. President Joe Biden's administration have shown resistance to large tech acquisitions, especially involving Google. Alphabet's last major acquisition was Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion over a decade ago. The acquisition of Wiz, valued at $12 billion, would significantly bolster Alphabet's cybersecurity capabilities following its $5.4 billion acquisition of Mandiant two years ago. Wiz, headquartered in New York and led by Israeli founder and former Microsoft executive Assaf Rappaport, has raised about $2 billion from investors, including Sequoia, Thrive, and Blackstone. Wiz assists companies like Salesforce, Mars, and BMW in securing cloud programs…
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Primary Exit Routes Adopted by Private Equity Firms

Primary Exit Routes Adopted by Private Equity Firms

Corporate Finance
INTRODUCTION Private equity investments are characterized by illiquid assets. To realize their returns, Limited Partners (LPs) and General Partners (GPs) must employ an exit strategy. This article provides a detailed analysis of the primary exit routes adopted by private equity firms.  “To make more on their investments Venture capitalist 1 need to turn illiquid stakes in private companies into realized return” Gompers and Lerner 2001 A defining feature of PE finance is the investment horizon. Limited Partners (LPs) typically commit their capital to a PE fund for a period of 10 years, with potential extensions of 1 to 3 years. This predetermined time frame forces PE firms to focus on realizing investments within the set period. This ensures that LPs receive their invested capital and a return on their investment.…
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TESLA’S DECREASE IN SALES

TESLA’S DECREASE IN SALES

Corporate Finance
Introduction Tesla, Inc., founded in 2003 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, has been a pioneering force in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Known for its innovative and high-performance electric cars, Tesla’s main product lineup includes the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, and Tesla Semi. In addition to vehicles, Tesla also offers energy generation and storage products such as solar panels, Powerwall, Powerpack, and Megapack. Tesla is listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker TSLA and has a market capitalization of approximately $554.1 billion as of 2024.In the first quarter of 2024, Tesla reported revenue of $21.3 billion (9% year-over-year decline) and a net income of $1.1 billion. The company’s gross profit was $3.7 billion, and it held $26.9 billion in cash. Over the trailing twelve months…
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IBM’s Strategic Acquisition of HashiCorp Inc.: Boosting Hybrid Cloud Automation

IBM’s Strategic Acquisition of HashiCorp Inc.: Boosting Hybrid Cloud Automation

Corporate Finance
Introduction International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) is set to acquire HashiCorp Inc. (NASDAQ: HCP), as the definitive agreement was made public on April 24th, 2024. IBM´s all-cash offer of $35 per share is valuing HashiCorp Inc, a key player in the multi-cloud software infrastructure industry, for $6,4 billion. The announcement underscores IBM's strategic focus and commitment to expanding its hybrid cloud services and AI capabilities. Industry description The software infrastructure industry consists of the foundational elements and technologies that enable the development, operation, and management of software applications and systems. This includes software frameworks, middleware, databases, networking components, and cloud infrastructure. The industry's key focus is on providing scalable, reliable, and efficient solutions to support the growing demand for digital services and applications across various. As organizations increasingly rely on…
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The dynamics of Leveraged Buyouts

The dynamics of Leveraged Buyouts

Corporate Finance
INTRODUCTION TO LBO Leveraged Buyouts represent one of the numerous investment techniques adopted within Private equity firms. Throughout this article we will analyze the fundamental pillars of this method. The acronym LBO stands for “Leveraged Buyout”. As the name suggests, this type of financial transactions are related to the leverage. Indeed, it consists in purchasing a target company by a small group of investors using a high level of debt and moderate equity investment. On average it is estimated that the equity contribution is around 40%, while the debt is 60%. Since an LBO is a sophisticated operation, it’s usually promoted by buyout firms. These transactions are generally financed by investors known as Limited Partners (LP) and managed by private equity firms known as General Partner (GP). Limited Partners tend…
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APPLE’S SALES DECREASE

APPLE’S SALES DECREASE

Corporate Finance
“We never had an objective to sell a low-cost phone. Our primary objective is to sell a great phone and provide a great experience, and we figured out a way to do it at a lower cost.” Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO INTRODUCTION Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technological company based in Cupertino, California. Given its extraordinary performances it’s considered as one of the Big Tech companies, as well as being in prestigious positions such as the world’s largest company by market capitalisation from 2011 to 2024 (now the position is held by Microsoft), and the largest technology company by revenues in 2022 with $394.3B. Apple is listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker AAPL, as of April 26th the stock price is $169.30 with a $-0.59 change…
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