Business | Stockmarket listings in America

Going public? Here is a how-to guide

As flotations boom, we look at what is changing at a key moment in capitalism

“A FLOTATION IS like your own funeral. You usually do it only once,” deadpans the chief financial officer of a software company that recently staged a blockbuster initial public offering (IPO). Some compare a listing to a wedding, requiring much frantic preparation and ending with a big celebration and bell-ringing. Others liken it to an 18th birthday, marking the moment a young company is launched into the harsh realities of adult life.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “A key moment in capitalism”

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