What is an IPO?
An initial public offering (IPO) is the first
time a company issues shares to the public. This is when a private company
decides to go ‘public’.
In other words, a company that was
privately-owned until then becomes a publicly-traded company.
Before the IPO, a company has very few shareholders. This includes the founders, angel investors and
venture capitalists. But during an IPO, the company opens its shares for sale
to the public. As an investor, you can buy shares directly from the company and
become a shareholder.
How are shares allocated in an IPO?
There are different investor categories
when it comes to IPOs. This includes:
Qualified Insititutional Buyers (QIBs)
Non Institutional Investors (NIIs)
Retail Individual Investors (RIIs)
The allocation of shares differs for all
the above groups in an IPO. As an individual investor, you come under the last
category.
As an individual investor, you are
allowed to invest in small lots worth Rs 10,000-15,000. You can apply for a
maximum of Rs 2 lakh in an IPO. The total demand for shares in the retail
category is judged by the number of applications received. If the demand is
less than or equal to the number of shares in the retail category, you are
offered a full allotment of shares.
When the demand is greater than the
allocation, it is known as oversubscription. Many times an IPO can be
over-subscribed five times over. This means that the demand for shares exceeds
the supply by five times!
In such cases, the shares in retail category
are offered to investors on the basis of a lottery. This is a computerised
process that ensures impartial allocation of shares to investors.
Why does company go public?
To raise capital for growth and expansion:-
Every company needs money to increase its
operations, create new products or pay off existing debts. Going public is a
great way to gain this much-needed capital for a company.
Allowing owners and early investors to
sell their stake to make money
It is also seen as an exit strategy for initial
investors and venture capitalists. A company becomes liquid through the sale of
stocks in an IPO. Venture capitalists sell their stock in the company at this
time to reap returns and exit from the company.
Greater public awareness:-
IPOs are ‘star-marked’ in the stock market
calendar. There is a lot of buzz and publicity around these events. This is a
great way for a company to publicise its products and services to a new set of
customers in the market.
How can you benefit from IPO?
First-mover advantage:-
This is especially true when reputed companies
announce an IPO. You get a chance to buy the company’s shares at a much lower
price. This is because once the company’s shares reach the secondary market,
the share price may go up sharply.
High returns:-
If the company has a potential to grow, buying
shares in an IPO can be benefit you. Strong fundamentals of the company mean
that it has a good chance of growing bigger. This can be advantageous to you as
well. You stand a chance to earn good returns over the long-term.
Listing gains:-
When a company gets listed on the stock market, it may be traded at a price that is either
higher or lower than the allotment price. When the opening price is higher than
the allotment price, it is known as listing gains.
Generally, investors expect an IPO to
perform well on listing due to factors such as market demand and positive bias.
However, this does not always happen. It is possible for a stock price to drop
by the end of the first trading day too.
In reality, listing gains may not
actually result in good returns for the investor in the long term. So, if you
are a trader interested in quick returns, it may be suitable. But for long term
investors, it is important to identify a company that can offer high returns five
or even ten years down the line.
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