SPAC Sponsors Were Winners Even on Losers

Since AEye went public by merging with a special-purpose acquisition company in August 2021, shareholders have had a rough go. The laser-technology company’s stock is down over 90% in the midst of missed revenue projections and the broader rout in growth stocks. 

The company that ran the SPAC has fared far better. The financial-services firm Cantor Fitzgerald LP invested less than $10 million in the deal, but has since reaped at least $35 million in fees related to the listing, share sales and the value of remaining holdings, securities filings show.