2019 is projected to be a landmark year for initial public offerings of stock, even with the current turbulence in the market. Professor Susan Chaplinsky talks about how these IPOs could affect the stock market, which closed 2018 with a dramatic downturn.
Because they spur the creation of jobs, IPOs have historically been important drivers of growth for the U.S. economy. But in the mid-2000s, going public lost some of its luster.
Recent legislative changes, particularly the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, aim to lower the direct cost of IPOs by giving firms the choice to reduce disclosure during the IPO process and their first five years as publicly traded companies.
But does this new legislation actually achieve its goals?