Political Quotes

“Initial public offerings, or IPOs, have historically been one of the most meaningful steps in the lifecycle of a company. ``Going public'' was the ultimate goal for entrepreneurs. You start a business from scratch, build it up into a successful enterprise, and then open up an opportunity for the public to share in your success. By completing an IPO, a company is able to raise much-needed capital for job creation and expansion opportunities, while allowing main street investors the opportunity to have an economic piece of the action and ability to participate in the growth phase of a company. However, over the past two decades, our nation has experienced a 37 percent decline in the number of U.S. listed companies. Equally troubling, we have seen the number of public companies fall to around 5,700. These statistics are concerning because they are similar to the data we saw in the 1980's when our economy was less than half its current size. For myriad reasons, the public model is no longer viewed as an attractive means of raising capital. Instead, small and emerging growth companies are choosing to go public much later in their lifecycle or choosing not to go public at all. We must work to change the trajectory. In speaking to the New York Economic Club, SEC Chairman Clayton stated that ``Regardless of the cause, the reduction in the number of U.S.-listed public companies is a serious issue for our markets and the country more generally.…”