How to buy Proterra stock when it goes public

Proterra, a Burlingame, California company that develops electric vehicle charging systems, is expected to go public via a special purpose acquisition company. We will update this page as new information becomes available.

What we know about the Proterra IPO

Proterra is planning to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), also known as a blank check company. SPACs are companies with no commercial operations that exist purely to raise capital through IPOs. Closing is expected during the first half of 2021.

The SPAC, ArcLight Clean Transition Corporation, originally went public in November 2020. The merger will bring $825 million in cash and will value the company at $1.6 billion.

ArcLight is currently trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ACTC," and has seen its stock jump on news of the proposed merger. Shares closed January 19 up 10.3% at $29.11.

How to buy shares in Proterra when it goes public

Once Proterra goes public, you'll need a brokerage account to invest. Consider opening a brokerage account today so you're ready as soon as the stock hits the market.

1. Compare share trading platforms. If you're a beginner, look for a platform with low commissions, expert ratings and investment tools to track your portfolio. Narrow down top brands with our comparison table.
2. Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, like your ID and bank information. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
3. Search for Proterra. Find the stock by name or ticker symbol. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment against your financial goals.
4. Purchase now or later. Buy immediately with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Proterra reaches your desired price. To spread out your purchase, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying at consistent intervals and amounts.
5. Decide on how many to buy. Weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimize risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Proterra, depending on your broker.
6. Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Proterra. Optimize your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights on directors and management that can affect your stock.

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It's impossible to predict how any stock will perform — and IPOs can be particularly volatile. But evaluating the performance of companies like Proterra can be useful in determining how the market is performing and whether now is a good time to invest in this industry. Select a company to learn more about what they do and how their stock performs, including market capitalization, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio and dividend yield. While this list includes a selection of the most well-known and popular stocks, it doesn't include every stock available.

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  General Motors Company designs, builds, and sells cars, trucks, crossovers, and automobile parts worldwide. The company operates through GM North America, GM International, Cruise, and GM Financial segments. It markets its vehicles primarily under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Baojun, and Wuling brand names. The company also sells trucks, crossovers, and cars to dealers for consumer retail sales, as well as to fleet customers, including daily rental car companies, commercial fleet customers, leasing companies, and governments. In addition, it offers safety and security services for retail and fleet customers, including automatic crash response, emergency services, roadside assistance, crisis assist, stolen vehicle assistance, and turn-by-turn navigation, as well as connected services comprising mobile applications for owners to remotely control their vehicles and electric vehicle owners to locate charging stations, on-demand vehicle diagnostics, smart driver, marketplace in-vehicle commerce, connected navigation, SiriusXM with 360L, and 4G LTE wireless connectivity. Further, the company provides automotive financing services; and operates an online store. General Motors Company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

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