US IPO Market Set for Record $160B Year as Deal Drought Ends

$160 billion. That's how much money companies are expected to raise through US IPOs this year, according to Goldman Sachs. It's a quadrupling from recent lows and would mark the biggest year on record for American stock market debuts.

Why the Sudden Rush to Go Public

After years in the wilderness, the IPO market is roaring back to life. The drought that began in 2022—when rising interest rates and economic uncertainty froze dealmaking—appears to be ending. Goldman's prediction signals that the long-awaited "IPO window" is finally creaking open.

The timing isn't coincidental. Interest rates have stabilized, market volatility has cooled, and investor appetite for growth stories is returning. Most importantly, hundreds of "unicorn" companies—private firms valued at over $1 billion—have been waiting on the sidelines, burning through cash and facing pressure from investors to provide an exit.

Winners and Losers in the IPO Bonanza

Wall Street investment banks are the obvious winners. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and their peers stand to collect hundreds of millions in underwriting fees. For a typical IPO, banks charge 3-7% of the total proceeds—meaning they could pocket $5-11 billion collectively if Goldman's forecast proves accurate.

Existing public companies face a more complex reality. While a healthy IPO market signals economic strength, it also means increased competition for investor dollars. Tech giants that have dominated market attention may find themselves sharing the spotlight with dozens of fresh-faced competitors.

For retail investors, the IPO surge presents both opportunity and peril. History shows that IPO timing often coincides with market peaks—remember the dot-com boom of 1999-2000, when IPO proceeds hit then-record levels just before the crash.

The Billion-Dollar Question: Sustainable or Speculative?

Not everyone's convinced this IPO wave will end well. Market veterans remember previous IPO booms that preceded major corrections. The $160 billion figure would dwarf the previous record of $97 billion set in 2021—a year that also preceded a significant market downturn.

Yet the fundamentals look different this time. Many companies going public today have real revenue, established business models, and clearer paths to profitability than their dot-com predecessors. The question is whether investors have learned from past mistakes or are repeating them with better marketing.

What This Means for Your Portfolio

For individual investors, the IPO renaissance demands careful consideration. While getting in early on the next Amazon or Google is tempting, research shows that most IPOs underperform the broader market over their first few years. The companies that do succeed often take time to find their footing as public entities.

Institutional investors face their own dilemma. Pension funds and endowments that missed out on private market returns over the past decade may see IPOs as a second chance. But paying public market prices for companies that venture capitalists bought at much lower valuations requires strong conviction in continued growth.