Cano Health Nears $4.4 B Senior Center Deal

A blank-check company backed by real-estate investor Barry Sternlicht is in talks to merge with Cano Health in a US$4.4 billion deal that would take the health-care provider for seniors public, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Sternlicht’s special purpose acquisition company, Jaws Acquisition, could announce a deal valuing Cano Health at US$4.4 billion, including debt, as soon as Thursday, November 13, the WSJ reported, assuming the talks don’t fall through at the last minute.

As is typical in SPAC deals, as part of the transaction, Cano Health would receive an investment—in this case totaling roughly US$800 million—from several investors, including Mr. Sternlicht, one of the people said.

Blank-check companies turn the typical IPO model on its head, raising money by going public before they have a business and then hunting for a target—usually over a period that lasts as long as two years. Investors have poured money into such vehicles at record levels this year as the coronavirus pandemic and market volatility make traditional IPOs trickier to pull off.

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