Tilray joins in cash grab with $400 million debt sale as cannabis firms capitalize on euphoria

Published on: Oct 4, 2018
Author: Amy Liu

Tilray Inc. added its name to a group of marijuana-exposed stocks cashing in on investor euphoria to raise billions of dollars at soaring valuations.

Tilray’s plan to sell debt that can be converted into shares follows equity and equity-linked sales by others in the budding industry including Innovative Industrial Properties Inc., India Globalization Capital Inc. and Canopy Growth Corp. Buzz about marijuana has propelled cannabis-related stocks higher, leading to a 26 per cent gain in the sector’s first exchange-traded fund this year.

Tilray shares are trading at more than nine times the price fetched in its July initial public offering and the US$400 million debt sale could raise roughly four times as much cash. Shares fell 5 per cent in extended trading on Wednesday after the sale was disclosed, likely pleasing short sellers who have been swarming the space.

Innovative Industrial, a REIT that leases to the medical cannabis industry, launched its second equity offering of the year Wednesday evening. The sale’s terms are more aggressive than the firm’s January deal, which offered buyers a bigger discount to the prior closing price.

Source: Financial Post

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