Retail traders rush into Wolfspeed as it exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Wolfspeed is in the midst of completing a very peculiar double act.
Shares of the embattled silicon carbide semiconductor maker are roaring higher in the premarket session after the company announced after the close on Monday that it has successfully completed its restructuring process and is exiting the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process.
The stock also nearly doubled on July 1 after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy!
As of 8:15 a.m. ET, Wolfspeed is among the most mentioned and most positively mentioned tickers on Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets over the past 12 hours, per SwaggyStocks data.
Betting on a very beaten-down company — or outright providing the fuel for a second lease on life — has been a popular strategy among retail traders in search of asymmetry. Opendoor Technologies might be the most recent example of this phenomenon, but the best one is probably Hertz, which retail traders flocked to during the pandemic in 2020 even as the car rental company filed for Chapter 11.
On Monday, the company issued new shares and canceled its old stock as part of this restructuring plan, significantly diluting its preexisting shareholder base.
“Through the restructuring process, Wolfspeed has reduced its total debt by approximately 70%, with maturities extended to 2030, and lowered its annual cash interest expense by roughly 60%,” according to its press release. “With a self-funded business plan supported by free cash flow generation, Wolfspeed is well positioned to leverage its vertically-integrated 200mm manufacturing footprint — underpinned by a secure and scalable US-based supply chain — to drive sustainable growth.”