Why Big Companies Are Suddenly Delaying Their IPOs

The IPO party is officially over. Companies worldwide are hitting the brakes on public offerings, either delaying launches or slashing deal sizes as market volatility makes valuation a guessing game. What was supposed to be a recovery year for IPOs has turned into a waiting game.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Global IPO activity has plummeted 35% year-over-year, with mega-deals (those raising over $1 billion) down by more than half. In the US alone, 47 IPOs have been postponed or scrapped entirely across the NYSE and NASDAQ.

The most telling example? Cloudflare's planned subsidiary spinoff, originally sized at $5 billion, has been shelved indefinitely. The reason? Market conditions are "too unpredictable" to price accurately.

Even traditionally hot sectors are feeling the chill. Biotech IPOs, which dominated headlines in recent years, have seen their average deal size shrink by 40%. Clean energy companies, once investor darlings, are struggling to find buyers at their target valuations.

The Valuation Reality Check

Behind the "market volatility" excuse lies a more fundamental problem: the gap between what companies think they're worth and what investors are willing to pay.

"Companies are still pricing themselves like it's 2021," says a Goldman Sachs IPO banker who requested anonymity. "But investors have moved on." The era of growth-at-any-cost valuations has given way to a show-me-the-money mentality.

Rising interest rates have made the math particularly brutal for unprofitable companies. When you can get 5% risk-free from Treasury bonds, why bet on a loss-making startup promising profitability "sometime in the future"?

Winners and Losers in the Wait

The IPO drought isn't affecting everyone equally. Established, profitable companies with strong cash flows are still finding receptive audiences – they're just getting more modest valuations than they'd hoped.

Meanwhile, venture capital-backed startups are feeling the squeeze. Many are burning through their last funding rounds while waiting for "better market conditions" that may never come. Some are quietly exploring private exits or strategic acquisitions instead.

Investors, paradoxically, might be the biggest winners. With fewer deals to choose from, they can be pickier about terms and pricing. "It's a buyer's market," notes a Fidelity portfolio manager. "Companies have to work harder to earn our attention."

The Ripple Effects

This IPO freeze isn't just about individual companies – it's reshaping entire industries. Private equity firms are holding onto portfolio companies longer, creating a backlog of potential public offerings. Investment banks are laying off IPO specialists and pivoting to other revenue streams.

For employees at pre-IPO companies, the delays mean stock options remain worthless paper. The psychological impact is real: many are jumping ship for public companies where equity compensation has immediate value.