Electric vehicle maker Fisker has sparked potential bankruptcy filing speculations after a report emerged stating that the company had hired restructuring advisors. The move follows Fisker’s statement in February, which indicated that its “current resources are insufficient to satisfy its requirements” for the next 12 months.
Citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported that Fisker had hired FTI Consulting and law firm Davis Polk to work on a potential filing. Fisker’s finances have been beleaguered as of late, with the company noting last month that in 2023, it had over $1 billion in debt over sales of $273 million. At the time, Fisker also announced that it was laying off 15% of its staff as a cost-cutting measure.
Despite its challenges, Fisker maintained some optimism last month. This was hinted at by the company stating that it was in negotiations with a large automaker for a potential transaction that would include an investment in Fisker, as well as the joint development of one or more electric vehicle platforms. That being said, the company also noted in its press release last month that it was not able to file its 2023 Form 10-K within the report’s prescribed submission period.
Fisker, FTI Consulting, and law firm Davis Polk have not issued a comment about the matter as of writing.
Prior to its recent challenges, Fisker carried a lot of optimism. The company went public in October 2020 through a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). At the time, investors were extremely optimistic about the electric vehicle sector, with numerous investors looking for the next Tesla, whose stock saw a 783.42% increase in 2020.
Fisker saw a lot of momentum initially, with the company being valued as high as $7.9 billion in February 2021. Since then, Fisker shares have seen a notable decline. Fisker’s share price has dropped over 97% since it went public in 2020, with the company ending Wednesday’s trading at $0.32 per share. Fisker’s current market cap as of Wednesday’s close is $180 million. The company’s shares have also traded below $1 for much of 2024, putting Fisker at risk of being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.
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