How does this financing strategy compare to similar capital raises undertaken by peers in the data protection and backup industry?
Comparison with Peer CapitalâRaises
Commvaultâs decision to tap the market with a $350âŻmillion (â) convertible seniorânote issuance, coupled with a cappedâcall purchase to blunt dilution, mirrors a growing trend among dataâprotection players that prefer âhybridâ financing over pure equity or highâyield debt. Rubrikâs 2022 $300âŻmillion senior secured loan and Cohesityâs 2023 $150âŻmillion convertibleâpreferred round both aimed at preserving cash while limiting shareâprice pressure; however, neither added a hedgeâinstrument like Commvaultâs capped calls. Veritas, in contrast, relied on a straight $600âŻmillion senior unsecured bond issue in 2021, which left investors fully exposed to dilution risk when the company later pursued a secondary equity offering. By purchasing capped calls at a 100âŻ% premium to the last trade, Commvault essentially buys a âfloorâ on dilution that most peers have omitted, giving it a clearer path to maintain current shareholder value while still accessing cheap capital.
Trading Implications
The convertible structure places the notes at a roughly 3.5âŻ% coupon with conversion terms that would become attractive only if CVLTâs stock rallies above the 100âŻ% premium strike. Given the current 20âpoint positive sentiment and CVLTâs technical positioning near the 20âday EMA on the Nasdaq, the market is pricing in modest upside, which could trigger conversion in a rally scenario and compress the effective yield. Relativeâvalue analysis shows CVLT trading at a modest 6.5Ă forward EV/EBITDA versus Rubrikâs 8Ă and Cohesityâs 7Ă, implying a valuation edge if the capital raise fuels product rollout and subscription growth. For traders, a shortâterm bias could be to buy on dips (support near $16) while monitoring the note issuance price and cappedâcall terms; a breach of the conversion trigger (â$32) would likely spark a sharp rally, rewarding both equity and convertibleânote holders. Conversely, any deterioration in cashâflow guidance could pressure the notesâ spread relative to senior debt, presenting a relativeâvalue short against higherârated dataâprotection issuers (e.g., Veritas) if credit concerns emerge.