LOS ANGELES – Wall Street has rolled out the welcome mat for companies going public this year, boosting proceeds from initial public offerings to the highest level in six years.IPOs slowed sharply in the spring due to the pandemic, but they surged in the summer as the market recovered from a steep slump and rallied to new highs.
And so far, betting on IPOs has paid off. Companies that have gone public this year have averaged a return of 53.8% above their IPO price, including a return of 23.4% after their first day of trading, according to Renaissance Capital, an IPO research provider.
In the 10 years prior, however, the average return after the first day of trading was 3.2%, a track record that includes some flops and is why many analysts.