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Sunday, 4 June 2023

EV maker Lucid set to raise USD 3 bn, with KSA’s PIF contributing USD 1.8 bn

Lucid is getting more money from Saudi owners: EV maker Lucid Group plans to raise USD 3 bn through a common stock offering, with most the money coming from Lucid’s majority shareholder KSA’s sovereign wealth fund the Public Investment Fund (PIF), according to a statement released last week. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund owns a 60.46% stake in the California-based EV maker.

What we know: Under an agreement, PIF will purchase some 265.7 mn shares in a private placement set to close on 26 June for c. USD 1.8 bn. The remaining USD 1.2 bn would be raised from a public offering of 173.5 mn shares of common stock, the statement notes. The public offering is expected to close on or around 5 June, it added.

Where the money is going: Lucid plans to use the net proceeds from both the public offering and the private placement by PIF “for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, capital expenditures and working capital.”

Lucid hasn’t been doing so well: Lucid’s shares fell more than 7% in extended trading following the announcement on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg. It ended the regular trading day up c. 0.7% to USD 7.76. The company has been struggling on the back of high costs, production hurdles, and EV competition. It reported quarterly revenues of USD 149.4 mn, down from an average estimate by analysts of USD 209.9 mn, according to Refinitv data. Its quarterly losses widened to USD 779.5 mn, up from USD 604.6 mn in the same quarter last year. The disappointing quarterly performance has pushed the EV manufacturer to revise its annual production plan this year to manufacture over 10k of its luxury EV sedans, down from a previous production plan of up to 14k. It remains a priority for Saudi Arabia, however, as the country is looking to become a hub for automakers, with Lucid planning to build its first overseas production facility in the Gulf country.

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