Resetting expectations -

It was clear in the opening months of 2022 that the winds had changed for the global IPO market as compared to the prior year, a rocky path that continued throughout the year and into the first quarter of 2023, but with a few notable bright spots -

As we reported in last year’s issue of the Global IPO Report, inflation concerns were starting to mount in early 2022 and investors were beginning to accept the prospect that central banks would need to step in to rein in demand. Against that backdrop, Russia invaded Ukraine, further disrupting already frayed supply chains and sending global energy prices soaring. This put further upward pressure on inflation and interest rates have been rising almost vertically since then. None of this has been kind to IPO sentiment. In 2022, total global IPO value, including SPACs, came in at US$170.7 billion, a decline of 72 percent year-on-year. Excluding SPACs, the total was US$153.9 billion, down 65 percent year-on-year. While 2021 had been a record-breaking year and was unlikely to be repeated under the best of circumstances, these were the lowest global IPO value totals stretching back to 2016.