Core Insights - The recent uptick in US-listed initial public offerings (IPOs) includes notable companies like Klarna, StubHub, and Netskope, indicating potential optimism for the fall IPO market [1] - However, the IPO market is unlikely to return to the exuberance seen in 1999, as a prolonged slump in listings has been influenced by high interest rates, inflation, and tariff uncertainties [2] - The number of US companies listed on stock exchanges has halved since the late 1990s, with regulatory burdens often cited as a reason for this decline [3] Regulatory Impact - Research from Columbia Business School indicates that regulatory costs account for only 7.3% of the decline in IPOs, suggesting that the impact of regulations is overstated [4] - Even if all post-2000 regulatory costs were eliminated, the decline in publicly listed companies would remain largely unchanged [4] Private Funding Dynamics - The significant increase in available private funding from venture capital and private equity is a primary reason companies are choosing to stay private longer [4] - Analysts predict that private equity will outperform public markets, with Bain & Company forecasting private market assets to grow at more than twice the rate of public ones, potentially reaching $65 trillion globally by 2032 [4] - The trend of high-growth companies remaining private could limit public investors' access to gains typically reserved for venture capital and private equity investors [4]