As IPO market resurges, investment banks could be winners

Core Insights - The IPO market has shown significant recovery in 2023, with a year-to-date increase of 11.7% in the Renaissance IPO Index compared to a 9.2% rise in the S&P 500 [2] - A total of 143 IPOs have been priced in 2023, marking a 55.4% increase from the previous year [2] - The market experienced a slowdown earlier in the year due to external factors such as tariff announcements, but has since rebounded due to investor enthusiasm for sectors like AI, crypto, and fintech [4][6] IPO Market Dynamics - The IPO market faced challenges in spring 2023, particularly due to President Trump's tariff announcements, which impacted investor sentiment [3] - Despite the challenges, the stock market's continued rise has led to a normalization of IPO activity after a boom in 2021 and a significant slowdown in 2022-2024 [4] - Many recent penny-stock IPOs have been priced at around $4 per share, raising approximately $6 million, primarily targeting unsophisticated retail investors [5] Future Outlook - Morgan Stanley's global co-head of equity capital markets expressed optimism for the second half of 2023 and anticipates an even more active IPO market in 2026 [7] - Morgan Stanley has played a significant role in the IPO market, serving as lead or joint lead bookrunner on nine of the 15 largest IPOs in the Americas over the past year, covering various sectors [8]