When a private company decides to go public by selling shares of stock, it holds an initial public offering (IPO). Analyzing a new IPO can help determine if it may be a good investment opportunity. Here's what to look at:
The per share price the company aims to sell the stock for in the IPO is important to note. Is it within a reasonable valuation range for this sector and company size?
Offering Price
Use of Proceeds
Where does the company plan to direct the capital raised from the IPO? Growth initiatives? Paying down debt? Assess if the use cases make strategic sense.
Dig into the company’s financial statements leading up to the IPO. Analyze revenue growth, profitability, cash flow generation and other metrics to gauge financial health.
Financial Performance
Competitive Landscape
Research the company's industry peers and where the IPO candidate stands. Compare things like market share, products/services, and financial benchmarks within the space.
Management Team
The leadership roster bringing the company public can signal business execution abilities. Evaluate their industry track records and past company growth.
Determine if the expected IPO valuation and pricing aligns with fundamentals like historical financials, growth forecasts, peer valuables relative to the opportunity and risks.
Expected Valuation
Assessing these key areas can help determine if an IPO may be under or overvalued, and if it could be a smart investment at the right price. Combining growth projections and targets to the valuation range setup by the investment banks backing the offering is key.