Bed Bath & Beyond reportedly raises $1 billion in stock deal to get out of loan default

Later Monday night, after the extended trading session ended, the Wall Street Journal reported that the company had received investor commitments to raise $225 million of equity capital initially, with the rest of the more than $1 billion offering coming later, citing people familiar with the matter.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Bed Bath & Beyond disclosed that JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, +0.59% and other creditors had agreed to work with the retailer if it could raise the money. Bed Bath & Beyond disclosed in late January that it was in default on loans that were called in, leading to accelerated payment and other demands, but banks agreed to waive or rescind those demands and rework the retailer’s credit facilities in exchange for proceeds from the offering, according to Monday’s filing.

The beleaguered retailer was expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but that hasn’t stopped its stock from enjoying a sharp rise to start the year. Bed Bath & Beyond shares are up 133% to start the year, taking into account Monday’s gains. The stock was halted twice in afternoon trading Monday and racked up intraday gains upward of 130% before ending with a 92% gain, but shares fell more than 30% in after-hours trading following the news released Monday afternoon.

Bed Bath & Beyond previously acknowledged a delisting notice due to its late quarterly filing, but said Monday that was no longer an issue since it had filed the quarterly document. Bed Bath & Beyond also disclosed a new interim chief financial officer, Holly Etlin, who works for AlixPartners, which the retailer uses as a consultant. Etlin replaces Laura Crossen, who will resume her role as chief accounting officer and senior vice president of finance. 

Read: What’s next for Bed Bath & Beyond after defaulting on its loans?

Other “classic” meme stocks enjoyed boosts in Monday afternoon activity as well. Shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. AMC, +11.84% were briefly halted at 3:28 p.m. Eastern, before trading resumed at 3:33 p.m. Shares closed up about 12%, though they were up more than 20% earlier Monday.

Shares of fellow meme stock GameStop Inc. GME, +7.24% saw a sharp move higher as well, rallying more than 7% on the day after surging as much as 11.8% earlier in the trading session.

GameStop’s stock is up 29% on the year, while AMC’s is up 67%, in another sign of the market’s bullishness.

Investors have been keener this year to embrace embattled companies. Bed Bath & Beyond’s 133% stock surge thus far in 2023 trails the 183% rally seen in shares of Carvana Co. CVNA, -7.06%, the used-car retailed that saw its stock plunge 91% in 2022 amid concerns about the company’s debt and liquidity levels.

See more: Carvana stock enjoys best week ever as ‘meme-like’ run continues

Shares of Nordstrom Inc. JWN, -8.34%, which now counts activist Ryan Cohen among its investors, pulled back in Monday trading but have risen 50% so far in 2023. Cohen, the co-founder of Chewy Inc. CHWY, -1.15%, took a stake in GameStop in 2020 and began agitating for change at the videogame retailer.