Intel Eyes Significantly Lower Valuation in IPO of Mobileye Unit
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Intel Corp.
INTC 1.97%
is eyeing a significantly lower valuation than previously expected in the initial public offering of its Mobileye Global Inc. self-driving car unit, according to people familiar with the matter, in the latest sign of the beleaguered state of the new-issue market.
Mobileye, which was originally expected to land a roughly $50 billion valuation, is now set to target one that is under $20 billion and sell a smaller number of shares than originally planned, the people said. By selling fewer shares at a lower price, the company and its advisers are hoping to drum up interest that will push up the shares after they start trading, some of the people said.
In another sign of the challenges facing the offering, Mobileye plans to launch its roadshow for prospective investors on Tuesday, a day later than anticipated. The goal is still for the shares to begin trading Oct. 26, the people said.
Intel and its advisers were encouraged to proceed with the roadshow Tuesday in part by the surge in markets Monday, with the S&P 500 rising more than 2.5% on some positive earnings reports. Their hope is that the markets will improve at least somewhat and give way to a more hospitable environment by the time the shares debut.
Intel, which last month filed publicly for an IPO of Mobileye, is expected to detail its new valuation expectations Tuesday.
The deal is a test of the IPO market, which has been hit hard by rising inflation and interest rates, fears of a recession and plummeting stock prices, especially for Mobileye’s technology-company peers.
The U.S. IPO market is having one of its worst years on record, with traditional offerings on track to raise the least money since 1995 or before, according to Dealogic. Major U.S. indexes are all in bear markets, defined in Wall Street parlance as a decline of 20% or more from a recent high. Also deterring new listings: The majority of companies that went public in 2020 and 2021 are trading below their IPO prices, many far below.
Hundreds of companies that were set to go public in the U.S. in 2022 are now being forced to watch from the sidelines as the price investors are willing to pay for their businesses shrinks. Instead of listing shares and raising money in the public markets, these companies are being forced to seek private money at far lower valuations, cut costs through layoffs or take other steps such as exiting certain markets, or go public at far lower valuations than anticipated. That gives these companies less money for growth or hiring, in another potential hit to the broader economy.
While most companies on the docket for 2022 IPOs delayed their public offerings until next year, Mobileye was one of the biggest and well-known exceptions. The other big IPO set for later this year is that of grocery-delivery company Instacart Inc. Mobileye’s slashed valuation is a bad sign for Instacart, which has already cut its internal valuation. If Mobileye trades poorly, it would be another bad omen for Instacart’s IPO hopes.
Intel Chief Executive
Pat Gelsinger
has said that listing Mobileye would give the self-driving car unit a higher profile and attract more business. He has also said Intel doesn’t need the money Mobileye’s IPO would generate.
Intel will retain a large stake in Mobileye, including all of the Class B shares Mobileye plans to issue, it has disclosed. Each Class B share will have voting rights equivalent to 10 Class A shares.
Mobileye had $854 million in revenue for the first six months of its fiscal year, up 21% from the year-earlier period. The company had a net loss of $67 million.
It is the second IPO in less than a decade for Mobileye, which first went public in 2014 at a roughly $5 billion valuation. Intel acquired the Israeli company in 2017 for $15.3 billion.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
and
Morgan Stanley
are leading the offering.
Write to Corrie Driebusch at corrie.driebusch@dowjones.com
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