In the first three quarters of 2018, 173 companies have gone public in the United States. By year’s end, the total number of domestic initial public offerings is projected to exceed the 181 IPOs filed in 2017. It has already far surpassed 2016’s 102 IPOs.
More than half of all companies that have gone public in the United States this year are in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences sector or technology, media, and telecommunications — and many have been successful both in raising capital and rewarding early investors.
For any company, the decision to go public is a major milestone. Most companies do so to raise money and spread the risk of ownership across a much larger group of investors.
Listing on a public stock exchange has proved to be a sound strategic move for countless companies over the years. Some of the most successful IPOs in history have taken place relatively recently. Credit card giant Visa raised $17.9 billion in capital with its 2008 IPO. Four years later, social media platform Facebook brought in $16.0 billion with its Wall Street debut.
These companies have also rewarded investors. Facebook shares are currently trading over 300% higher than their first day of trading, while Visa shares are up over 750%.
The 170-plus companies that have gone public in U.S. stock exchanges in the first three quarters of 2018 have brought a cumulative value of $45.7 billion to the trading floor — considerably more than the $31.2 billion in IPOs over the first three quarters of 2017. By year’s end, the total value of domestic IPOs is projected to reach a high of $75 billion.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the value of total shares at the initial public offering to identify the biggest IPOs of the 2018. Using data from independent research firm EDGAR, we only ranked IPOs with a total offer amount of half a billion dollars or more at the time of their pricing. All companies on this list are currently trading on the NASDAQ or NYSE exchanges.
Click here to see the biggest IPOs of the year.
Source: GrafTech International
26. GrafTech International Ltd. (EAF)
> Offer amount: $525.0 million ($15.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 4/19/2018
> Current share price: $15.10
> Sector: Industrials
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Source: Focus Financial Partners
25. Focus Financial Partners Inc. (FOCS)
> Offer amount: $535.1 million ($33.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 7/26/2018
> Current share price: $31.01
> Sector: Financials
Source: Far Point Acquisition
24. Far Point Acquisition Corp. (FPAC)
> Offer amount: $550.0 million ($10.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 6/12/2018
> Current share price: $9.62
> Sector: Industrials
Source: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine / Wikimedia Commons
23. Pivotal Software, Inc. (PVTL)
> Offer amount: $555.0 million ($15.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 4/20/2018
> Current share price: $18.01
> Sector: Technology
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Source: Creative Commons / Wikimedia Commons
22. GS Acquisition Holdings Corp. (GSAH)
> Offer amount: $600.0 million ($10.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 6/8/2018
> Current share price: $9.83
> Sector: Industrials
Source: Churchill Capital Corp
21. Churchill Capital Corp. (CCC)
> Offer amount: $600.0 million ($10.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 9/7/2018
> Current share price: $9.56
> Sector: Industrials
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Source: 157169739@N04 / Flickr
20. Docusign Inc (DOCU)
> Offer amount: $629.3 million ($29.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 4/27/2018
> Current share price: $40.71
> Sector: Technology
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Source: jeepersmedia / Flickr
19. BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc (BJ)
> Offer amount: $637.5 million ($17.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 6/28/2018
> Current share price: $22.48
> Sector: Consumer Goods
Source: Americold
18. Americold Realty Trust (COLD)
> Offer amount: $724.8 million ($16.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 1/19/2018
> Current share price: $26.50
> Sector: Financials
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Source: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons
17. Gates Industrial Corp. Plc. (GTES)
> Offer amount: $731.5 million ($19.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 1/25/2018
> Current share price: $14.38
> Sector: Consumer Goods
Source: Courtesy of Hudson Group
16. Hudson Ltd. (HUD)
> Offer amount: $748.9 million ($19.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 2/1/2018
> Current share price: $19.69
> Sector: Consumer Services
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Source: funky-data / Getty Images
15. Dropbox, Inc. (DBX)
> Offer amount: $756.0 million ($21.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 3/23/2018
> Current share price: $22.93
> Sector: Technology
Source: Cushman & Wakefield via Facebook
14. Cushman & Wakefield Plc. (CWK)
> Offer amount: $765.0 million ($17.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 8/2/2018
> Current share price: $18.17
> Sector: Financials
Source: Greensky Inc
13. Greensky, Inc. (GSKY)
> Offer amount: $874.0 million ($23.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 5/24/2018
> Current share price: $9.25
> Sector: Consumer Services
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Source: takapprs_flickr / Flickr
12. Farfetch Ltd (FTCH)
> Offer amount: $884.9 million ($20.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 9/21/2018
> Current share price: $22.02
> Sector: Consumer Goods
Source: Courtesy of NIO Inc.
11. NIO Inc. (NIO)
> Offer amount: $1.0 billion ($6.26 per share)
> Pricing date: 9/12/2018
> Current share price: $7.38
> Sector: Consumer Goods
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Source: dononeg / Getty Images
10. World Gold Trust (GLDM)
> Offer amount: $1.0 billion ($12.98 per share)
> Pricing date: 6/26/2018
> Current share price: $12.22
> Sector: Financials
Source: VICI Properties
9. Vici Properties Inc. (VICI)
> Offer amount: $1.2 billion ($20.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 2/1/2018
> Current share price: $21.81
> Sector: Financials
Source: Courtesy of StoneCo
8. StoneCo Ltd. (STNE)
> Offer amount: $1.2 billion ($24.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 10/25/2018
> Current share price: $22.58
> Sector: Technology
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Source: Tomsmith585 / Getty Images
7. ADT Inc. (ADT)
> Offer amount: $1.5 billion ($14.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 1/19/2018
> Current share price: $7.73
> Sector: Consumer Services
Source: Courtesy of Elanco
6. Elanco Animal Health Inc. (ELAN)
> Offer amount: $1.5 billion ($24.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 9/20/2018
> Current share price: $33.01
> Sector: Health Care
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Source: Courtesy of Pinduoduo
5. Pinduoduo Inc. (PDD)
> Offer amount: $1.6 billion ($19.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 7/26/2018
> Current share price: $21.80
> Sector: Technology
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Source: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
4. IQIYI, Inc. (IQ)
> Offer amount: $2.3 billion ($18.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 3/29/2018
> Current share price: $20.12
> Sector: Consumer Goods
Source: PagSeguro / Wikimedia Commons
3. Pagseguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS)
> Offer amount: $2.3 billion ($21.50 per share)
> Pricing date: 1/24/2018
> Current share price: $22.17
> Sector: Technology
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Source: Christos Vittoratos / Wikimedia Commons
2. AXA Equitable Holdings, Inc. (EQH)
> Offer amount: $2.7 billion ($20.00 per share)
> Pricing date: 5/10/2018
> Current share price: $20.04
> Sector: Financials
Source: hocus-focus / Getty Images
1. Spotify Technology S.A. (SPOT)
> Offer amount: $9.2 billion ($165.90 per share)
> Pricing date: 4/3/2018
> Current share price: $136.19
> Sector: Technology
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