Schorsch's RCAP to raise $466 million in secondary offering

Broker-dealer using proceeds, in part, for pending acquisitions and possible new ones.
JUN 05, 2014
RCS Capital Corp. dropped nearly 5% in trading Thursday after the broker-dealer said it intended to sell 20 million shares, netting $466 million. Shares of RCS Capital, known by its ticker symbol RCAP, closed trading on Wednesday at $29.74. By 3:17 p.m. New York time Thursday, the stock was down $1.33 and was trading at $28.41 after dropping to a low of $27 earlier in the day. The company said on Wednesday after the market closed that it planned to make the stock offering. More: RCAP revenue drops, but Nicholas Schorsch isn't worried Trading volume in RCAP increased significantly after the news of the proposed offering, with shares changing hands at least two and a half times the average volume. According to Yahoo Finance, 200,000 shares of RCAP had traded by 3:17 p.m. Thursday, compared with a three-month daily average of 87,123 shares. RCAP executive chairman Nicholas Schorsch, along with RCAP Holdings and RCAP Equities, will be one of the sellers of the shares. Currently, Mr. Schorsch and the two related business entities own 85% of the Class A shares of the broker-dealer, which had its initial public offering last June. The company sold 2.5 million shares at $20 a share for a total of $50 million. After the proposed sale of shares, Mr. Schorsch and those related entities will control between 42% and 54% of the common stock, according to a registration statement of securities filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company expects to use the stock sale's net proceeds to complete $185.3 million worth of pending acquisitions and for general corporate purposes, including other acquisitions, according to the filing. Another $26.3 million of the proceeds from the stock sale will be deposited in escrow, to be used to repay the notes issued by RCAP Holdings to a broker-dealer it acquired last year, First Allied. And $33.4 million is slated to be used for outstanding First Allied debt. Luxor, a hedge fund that bought preferred shares of RCAP as part of the financing for RCAP's acquisition earlier this year of Cetera Financial Group, will receive $20 million in fees in connection with the issuance of the convertible notes, convertible preferred stock and Class A common stock. The “net proceeds” figure of $466.3 million for the stock offering derives from shuffling a few numbers. The 15 million primary shares, sold at $29.74 each, would yield $446.1 million. Add $50 million from a private placement, and that would create $496.1 million in gross proceeds, according to Andrew Backman, managing director, head of investor relations for RCAP, in an email to InvestmentNews. Subtract almost $30 million in fees to underwriters from that figure, and the net proceeds to the company are $466.3 million. “The five million secondary shares being sold are by the founding partners and yield no proceeds to the company,” Mr. Backman said in an email. That means shares controlled by Mr. Schorsch and RCAP's other founding partners could raise $148.7 million, if sold at $29.74. This story has been updated with new information from RCAP on the calculation of net proceeds.

Latest News

The 2025 InvestmentNews Awards Excellence Awardees revealed
The 2025 InvestmentNews Awards Excellence Awardees revealed

From outstanding individuals to innovative organizations, find out who made the final shortlist for top honors at the IN awards, now in its second year.

Top RIA Cresset warns of 'inevitable' recession amid tariff uncertainty
Top RIA Cresset warns of 'inevitable' recession amid tariff uncertainty

Cresset's Susie Cranston is expecting an economic recession, but says her $65 billion RIA sees "great opportunity" to keep investing in a down market.

Edward Jones joins the crowd to sell more alternative investments
Edward Jones joins the crowd to sell more alternative investments

“There’s a big pull to alternative investments right now because of volatility of the stock market,” Kevin Gannon, CEO of Robert A. Stanger & Co., said.

Record RIA M&A activity marks strong start to 2025
Record RIA M&A activity marks strong start to 2025

Sellers shift focus: It's not about succession anymore.

IB+ Data Hub offers strategic edge for U.S. wealth advisors and RIAs advising business clients
IB+ Data Hub offers strategic edge for U.S. wealth advisors and RIAs advising business clients

Platform being adopted by independent-minded advisors who see insurance as a core pillar of their business.

SPONSORED Compliance in real time: Technology's expanding role in RIA oversight

RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.

SPONSORED Advisory firms confront crossroads amid historic wealth transfer

As inheritances are set to reshape client portfolios and next-gen heirs demand digital-first experiences, firms are retooling their wealth tech stacks and succession models in real time.