Entrepreneurial Learning, the Ipo Decision, and the Post-Ipo Drop in Firm Profitability

47 Pages Posted: 19 Feb 2007

See all articles by Lubos Pastor

Lubos Pastor

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business

Lucian Taylor

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School

Pietro Veronesi

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 4 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 24, 2007

Abstract

We develop a dynamic model of the optimal IPO decision in the presence of learning about the average profitability of a private firm. In the IPO decision, the entrepreneur trades off diversification benefits of going public against benefits of private control. The model predicts that firm profitability should decline after the IPO, on average, and that this decline should be larger for firms with more volatile profitability and firms with less uncertain average profitability. These predictions are supported empirically in a sample of 7,183 IPOs in the U.S. between 1975 and 2004.

Suggested Citation

Pastor, Lubos and Taylor, Lucian and Veronesi, Pietro, Entrepreneurial Learning, the Ipo Decision, and the Post-Ipo Drop in Firm Profitability (September 24, 2007). CRSP Working Paper No. 616, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=953076 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.953076

Lubos Pastor (Contact Author)

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
United States
773-834-4080 (Phone)
773-702-0458 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ChicagoGSB.edu/fac/lubos.pastor/

Lucian Taylor

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

Pietro Veronesi

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
United States
773-702-6348 (Phone)
773-702-0458 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
591
Abstract Views
2,913
Rank
43,355
PlumX Metrics