Do Firms Go Public to Raise Capital?

36 Pages Posted: 27 Feb 2005

See all articles by Woojin Kim

Woojin Kim

Seoul National University - Business School; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Michael S. Weisbach

Ohio State University (OSU) - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 22, 2005

Abstract

This paper considers the question of whether raising capital is an important reason why firms go public. Using a sample of 16,958 initial public offerings from 38 countries between 1990 and 2003, we consider differences between firms that sell new, primary shares to the public, and existing secondary shares that previously belonged to insiders. Our results suggest that the sale of primary shares is correlated with a number of factors associated with the firm's demand for capital. In particular, issuance of primary shares is correlated with higher increases of investment, higher repayment of debt and increases in cash, and more subsequent capital-raising through seasoned equity offers. Since 79% of all capital raised through IPOs in our sample is from the sale of primary shares, we conclude that capital-raising is an important motive in the going-public decision.

Suggested Citation

Kim, Woojin and Weisbach, Michael S., Do Firms Go Public to Raise Capital? (February 22, 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=610988 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.610988

Woojin Kim

Seoul National University - Business School ( email )

1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu
Seoul, 08826
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)
82-2-880-5831 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://cba.snu.ac.kr/en/faculty?mode=view&memberidx=60582&major=6

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Michael S. Weisbach (Contact Author)

Ohio State University (OSU) - Department of Finance ( email )

2100 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210-1144
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

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