US SEC official warns SPAC dealmakers of the risks and complexities tied to blank-check mergers

• A US regulatory official has warned SPAC dealmakers about risks and complexities in the space.
• The SEC's Paul Munter said target companies should be prepared to become public.
• The recent performance of blank-check companies disappointed in March when IPO prices fizzled out.

A US markets watchdog official on Wednesday cautioned blank-check company dealmakers about the risks and governance issues that come with raising capital through special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

Paul Munter, the acting chief accountant at the Securities and Exchange Commission, said timelines of such transactions are part of the challenges for private companies that merge with SPACs. That is because their development may still be in early stages.

"Many SPAC acquisition targets may be at an earlier stage in the entity's development compared to companies that pursue a traditional IPO," he said in a statement, adding target companies should have a plan to address the demands of becoming public on a speedy timeline.

Munter urged market participants to carefully consider risks, complexities, and challenges in the space, including the consideration of whether target companies are prepared to go public.

SPACs have raised $97 billion across 298 IPOs so far this year, exceeding the previous year's record of $83 billion raised, according to data from SPACInsider.com.

But March was a rough month for companies in the space as firms and individual investors grew increasingly cautious over SPAC investing. 93% of SPACs that went public in the last few weeks of the month were trading below par value, or $10 per share. JPMorgan said SPAC acceleration may be hitting a peak and could slow for the rest of the year.

Munter made his statement about a week after the regulator wrote to Wall Street banks to seek voluntary information on their SPAC dealings.

"Given the explosion in popularity of SPACs, it's no surprise that enforcement is asking questions - this is the beginning of what I expect will be heightened scrutiny of trading and disclosures to investors arising from the surge of these transactions," Doug Davison, partner at law firm Linklaters, said.