SPACs and the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Korea

We examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mergers of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in Korea, where SPACs—since their introduction in 2010—have played a significant role in private company public listings. After the COVID-19 outbreak, SPACs were less likely to merge, but for those which chose to do so, merger announcement returns were on average higher, particularly for those that waited to merge until after the stock market recovered its pre-pandemic value. We also find evidence that SPAC holding period returns from the SPAC's initial public offering to merger consummation (or liquidation, in the case of SPACs that failed to complete a merger) were on average higher after the outbreak. Overall, our results suggest that, despite their limited lifespan and agency issues, SPACs may operate more efficiently and perform better during periods of economic downturn.