GoPro, months after IPO, unveils plan for $800-million stock offering
GoPro, the company behind high-definition action cameras, said it plans to raise an additional $800 million in a stock offering, and may use the cash for acquisitions and investments in other companies.
News of the planned stock offering sent GoPro’s shares down as much as 5% before they partly recovered. With about two hours left in Monday’s trading session, the stock was trading at $75.96, down $3.10, or 3.9%.
Even with the drop, the San Mateo, Calif., company’s share price is still triple that of its initial public offering price of $24 in June, when the firm raised $491 million. The company’s current total stock-market value is almost $10 billion.
GoPro Chief Executive Nick Woodman sent an email to employees Monday saying the company plans to offer $100 million in shares and that current shareholders would sell the remaining $700 million.
The $100 million in new capital for the company “could be used for anything,” according to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who cited such possibilities as international distribution, incremental manufacturing capability and acquisitions.
Before its IPO, GoPro acquired the digital design and software studio General Things Inc. in 2013. In 2011, the company acquired CineForm, a maker of video compression technology used in films such as “Slumdog Millionaire.”
GoPro was founded in 2004 by Nick Woodman. It specializes in small cameras that are popular among professional and amateur athletes and thrill seekers who like to capture footage from a first-person point of view.
In September, it announced plans to focus on sharing user videos. It also lowered the price of its cheapest camera to $129 from $200, and introduced the Hero4 line of cameras, which rivals professional camcorders.
