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Finance

While Uber’s IPO Slumped, Big Banks Took Home $106 Million in Fees

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
May 14, 2019, 7:00 AM ET
As of Monday’s market close, those who bought into Uber at its IPO are down roughly $1.4 billion.
But very early investors, and now, the bankers that helped take the company to market are in the green. Uber shelled out $106.2 million to a bevy of underwriters led by Morgan Stanley, per filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The group also includes Goldman Sachs, BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citigroup, and Allen & Company.
That comes as shares of Uber fell another 11% Monday—pulling its valuation down to $62 billion and representing a collective $1.4 billion loss for those who bought in at the company’s $45 IPO price. Assuming that Uber drivers took up all shares offered to them at the IPO price, they are collectively looking at paper losses of about $43.2 million.

On Friday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sought to calm his employees regarding Uber’s stock price.

“Like all periods of transition, there are ups and downs,” he wrote in a note to workers.”Remember that the Facebook and Amazon post-IPO trading was incredibly difficult for those companies. And look at how they have delivered since.”

In particular—Facebook’s IPO may echo strongly with that of Uber’s. That IPO too involved Morgan Stanley in the lead role. Following a lackluster first day of trading, the bank’s fees, as well as trades stemming from its role as the lead in the deal, were heavily scrutinized. A Massachusetts regulator later fined Morgan Stanley $5 million over the IPO, arguing the underwriter had selectively disclosed information to certain clients over others.

It remains to be seen whether similar investigations will follow Uber’s IPO. But for now, count the banks as one of the few parties that have profited from this deal.

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About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
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