According to Market Watch, IPO quantity on the U.S. stock market for the first quarter of 2014, as of March 31, reached 71 public company debuts which are considered the strongest figure since 2000. Moreover, IPO proceeds raised during the first quarter of 2014 reached $11 billion, a 41 percent increase over the $7.8 billion raised in the first quarter of 2013.
On a sector basis, healthcare, in particular the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors, dominated the IPO market. Besides, the high tech sector also showed the robust activity. However, most of IPOs among IT-companies managed to yield small levels of investment.
The U.S. market for initial public offerings (IPOs) witnessed a spike in activity in late 1990-s which is attributed to rapidly emerging Internet companies. So, the number of IPOs surged to 128 in the first quarter of 2000. However, a few months later the dotcom crisis broke out when most of technological companies faced bankruptcy, market indices plummeted, and the economy slipped into recession.
In the period of 2009-2013, the IPO market showed a subdued performance due to the aftermath of the global economic crisis in 2008. From January until March 2012, 42 companies were publicly filing for an IPO in the U.S., whereas just 31 IPOs were recorded in the first quarter of 2013.