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IPO Outlook: 2021 Saw Record Numbers But Poor Returns; 2022 Looks Muted

Number Of 2021 Offerings Exceeded 2020, But Returns Faltered

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Initial public offering momentum decelerated as stock prices declined last year, but even with lower valuations making M&A more attractive, the IPO market this year is expected to be active. 

Scrip Perspectives - IPO
2022 likely will not be a third-in-a-row year of record-breaking IPO numbers • Source: Alamy

The momentum that biopharmaceutical companies gained in the eyes of investors in 2020 continued into 2021, delivering a record number of initial public offerings in the US for the second year in a row. However, biotechnology stock prices declined during the latter half of 2021, and by the end of December the average return for companies that went public in 2021 was -25.3%. Even so, experts expect a strong market for IPOs in 2022, but not enough offerings for a third record-breaking year.

The good news about declining valuations, however, is that mergers and acquisitions may become more attractive strategic alternatives for drug...

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