SolarCity IPO Hits an Unexpected Jackpot

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By Paul Ausick Updated Published
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Solar rooftop installation

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After a tortured pricing process, solar PV installer SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) completed its IPO today, with 11.5 million shares offered at $8 a share. The IPO price was well below the initial range of $13 to $15.

The good news is that the share price has rocketed up to more than $11 a share in mid-day trading. Yesterday we noted some of the problems the company faced, but investors apparently put those aside today.

The company installs solar PV systems on residential and commercial buildings, financing the cost of the system itself and then selling the electricity back to the owners at an agreed price under a long-term power purchase agreement. The scheme has been quite successful, resulting in significant business since SolarCity began implementing it. The catch, of course, is that the payoff comes in a longer term than many investors are willing to wait for.

At recent trading levels, the company’s valuation is over $750 million.

Shares of SolarCity are trading at $11.21, up more than 40%, shortly after noon today.

Paul Ausick

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo of Paul Ausick
About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for 247Wallst.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

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