Category Archives: The IPO Buzz

With “the Bear” in the headlines, as in Bear Stearns, and the problems with subprime loans that produced a volatile stock market, not too much attention has been given to the IPO calendar. And guess what? This week boasts a baker’s dozen on the new-issues launching pad. The 13 IPOs aim to raise nearly $1.7 billion. Now that’s heavy traffic.

The selling wave that swept through Wall Street last week did not drown the IPO market. Bankers priced everything on the calendar. And they plan to deliver an equally robust line-up this week.

It was a wild and bumpy ride down the IPO rapids last week. It proved there is no such thing as a “sure thing,” but more on that in a minute. This week’s new-issues calendar gets away from this year’s favorites — technology and specialty financial firms.

It may have been a shortened trading week for Wall Street traders. It wasn’t for its bankers.

Tech IPOs broke out into party mode in the final week of June – with some of the sharpest opening-day gains seen this year. That trend of techs dancing topless on the beach was right in step with the way this IPO sector has performed throughout the first half of 2007.

Not only did the Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) offering dominate last week’s IPO news, it more than lived up to expectations.

The reason Sterlite Industries (India) (NYSE: STL proposed) cannot be found on the IPO calendar is that it is a secondary offering.

The street sign at the corner of Broad and Wall says “one way,” but don’t believe it. Stocks went south last week while IPOs headed north, and one new issue soared to the top of this year’s IPO winner’s list.

Now June is upon us, you’ll start hearing people talk about “the summer doldrums” for the IPO market. Don’t believe it. Facts don’t support this myth.