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‘Worse Than The Dot Com Bubble’: Money-Losing Companies Are Going Public at a Record Rate

IMAGE: IntelligenceSquaredUS.org

By Tyler Durden | 1 October 2018

ZERO HEDGE — As we slip deeper into the euphoria of what is now the longest bull market on record, resulting in a deluge of corporate “zombies” , the initial public offering market is similarly slipping into a noxious trance of its own, welcoming to U.S. exchanges record numbers of companies that lose money. According to a new report by the Wall Street Journal, a record number, or 83% of US listed IPOs over the first three quarters of 2018, were companies that lost money in the 12 month prior to their going public.

According to the WSJ, this is the highest proportion on record dating back to 1980.

Not only that, but investors who have been buying these money-losing companies have been rewarded. Stocks of companies that lose money and list in the United States this year are up an average of 36% from their IPO price. This actually outperformed the return for IPO stocks that are posting positive earnings, which came in at 32%. Both beat the S&P 500, which has returned 9% over the same course of time.

And because it’s this easy to conjure money out of thin air, new listings have surged. During the first three quarters of 2018, $50 billion in IPO money has been raised by more than 180 companies. This puts this year on track to be the busiest year for IPOs since 2014. […]

 

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