IPO Activity Remains Subdued in February as Anticipation for Startup IPOs Grows

Activity for initial public offerings remained at low levels in February, with 15 U.S. companies going public, raising a total of $887 million in capital. IPO fundraising is down 72.9% from last February and Is down 90% to $1.3 billion for the first two months of 2019 compared to the first two months of 2018. The end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 are well off of recent highs set in the early summer last year. However, month-to-month, the trend has shifted upward, rising 120% from the $403 million raised in January. 

A majority of the companies that became publicly traded in February were in the healthcare industry, accounting for 11 of the 15 IPOs and $856 million of the capital raised.
​
It is speculated that capital raised through initial public offerings is may climb dramatically later this spring as Silicon Valley unicorns and tech giants. Uber, Lyft, Pinterest, and a few other large startups have made at least first-round or confidential filings with the SEC. Levi Strauss has also filed and is expected to go public for its second time later this month.

The highlights from our weekly IPO market updates during February 2019 included:

• Week 1: Slack Announces Huge Daily Active User Figures while VW Plans to Spin Off Trucking Unit
• Week 2: On Demand Anything” Platform Postmates Has Filed for an IPO
• Week 3: Levi Strauss Has Filed to go Public in 2019
• Week 4: Hot Tech Startups Continue Movement Towards 2019 IPOs