Category Archives: The IPO Buzz

Wall Street’s greed was the target of a December 19^th story about the Zynga (ZNGA) IPO. The financial media reported underwriters pocketed $32.5 million in fees while investors took a shellacking when the stock tanked. This was, of course, classic Mark Twain.

 

 

There are two things we know will happen during the coming year. First, the sun will come up in the morning and next, the media drumbeat will continue for a Facebook IPO. But there are some happy clouds floating in the IPO skies that are being overlooked.

 

When the stock market sells off, as it did last week, securities analysts can attract a lot of attention by slamming a company. It proved to be more newsworthy to pick on the defenseless, such as Zynga (ZNGA), the social game developer, which made its public debut on Friday, Dec. 16.

 

The IPO market normally closes down by mid-December so this week’s calendar wraps up 2011 with a blaze of lightning and a clap of thunder to produce the busiest week of the year. 

 

When the stock market surged to its sharpest single-week gain in well over two-and-a-half years, there was not an IPO in sight. That picture is about to change. Bankers are looking to price 14 deals over the next two weeks and expect to raise $3.5 billion in proceeds.

 

 

When Groupon  (GRPN) broke issue price last week, the naysayers who had predicted it took a victory lap around the IPO Arena. But the life cycle of the IPO has not yet been played out.

 

 

Thanksgiving turkeys arrived early on Wall Street as four IPOs laid eggs in last week’s new-issues market. This holiday-shortened week has just two deals on the calendar. Investment professionals expect a sleepy time in the Land of IPOs.

 

Out of the smoke that engulfed the world’s securities markets last week comes this week’s IPO calendar. It has nine offerings that aim to raise $1.5 billion – the busiest week since December 2010.

 

 

November’s IPO market opened with a pop and two flops. What’s more, the first week of November included eight companies unveiling proposed IPO pricing terms and six jumping onto the new-issues calendar. That’s not too shabby.

 

 

The IPO market blows into town this week like a three-ring circus. The calendar has four deals looking to raise over $1 billion – yes, one billion dollars – and the headliner is the much hyped Groupon IPO.