This IPO doesn’t inspire us

Article Excerpt

WAYSTAR HOLDING CORP. $21 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol WAY; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 167.4 million; Market cap: $3.5 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Lowest; www.waystar.com) makes software that helps hospitals and doctors manage their finances. It now serves over 1 million healthcare providers, and handles more than 4 billion transactions annually. On June 7, 2024, Waystar sold 45.0 million of its common shares to the public at $21.50 a share for total proceeds of $967.5 million. The company will use the proceeds to pay down its total debt of $2.27 billion (as of March 31, 2024), which is a high 65% of its market cap. Waystar operates in a fast-growing market as healthcare providers convert their physical records to digital formats. That helps cut their costs. However, this is a highly competitive field, and Waystar’s success is far from certain. Waystar Holding is a hold. hold…