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US IPO Weekly Recap: Volatility rules a week with no IPOs and 6 new filings

August 28, 2015
Weekly Recap

It's all quiet in the IPO market as hell breaks loose elsewhere.

The VIX volatility index spiked above 40 for the first time since August 2011, but ended the week at 26. With an especially-late Labor Day this year, that number has two weeks to slide below 20 before volatility threatens to derail the IPO market. IPO returns will also need to improve, as nearly half of 2015 IPOs trade below their offer price for the second week in a row. Assuming markets stabilize, this could translate into greater buying power for IPO investors, especially for cash-strapped biotechs and debt-burdened LBOs.

IPO pipeline update: Health care pulls through
Six IPOs filed in the past week, and five were health care. The sector currently represents 44% of IPOs year-to-date. 11 other companies updated registration documents, signaling plans to go public soon.

IPO filings included one regional bank, one medical systems LBO and four biotechs. More than other sectors, health care has greater immunity from turmoil in commodities and emerging markets. Out of IPOs in the past 90 days, seven of the eight that trade more than 50% above the IPO price are health care. Yet regardless of the sector, every IPO will be challenged if this level of volatility continues to rock the markets.

Three large biotech IPOs
Three biotech IPOs this week filed with a proposed deal size of more than $80 million. Larger biotech IPOs have historically outperformed, and each of the three boasts top-tier investors such as NEA, Third Rock, Fidelity and RA Capital or premium pharmaceutical partners like Pfizer, Baxalta and Roche.

Another highly-levered billion-dollar IPO
Acelity Holdings (ACEL.RC), an LBO'd medical systems maker, filed this week for an IPO that we estimate could raise $1 billion. With $4.8 billion in debt (6.6x LTM EBITDA), Acelity joins a growing list of large and highly-levered LBO'd IPOs, as PE firms seek to exit their investments and pay down debt ahead of a potential rate hike in September. Recent filers include Neiman Marcus (NMG; debt of 6.6x LTM EBITDA), First Data (FDC.RC; 8.1x), Albertsons (ABS; 5.4x), Surgery Partners (SGRY; 8.9x), Mauser Group (MAUS.RC; 6.5x) and ADS Waste (ADSW; 6.0x).

6 IPOs Filed during the week of August 24
 
Issuer
Business
Symbol
Exchange
Deal Size($m)
 Backers Top 3
Bookrunners
Acelity
San Antonio, TX
TBA
TBA
$1,000
estimate
 Apax Partners
CPPIB
JP Morgan
Goldman Sachs
BofA ML
LBO'd provider of advanced wound care systems and tissue implants.
 
CytomX Therapeutics
South San Francisco, CA
CTMX
Nasdaq
$100 Third Rock, Pfizer
Canaan, Fidelity
BofA ML
Jefferies
Cowen & Co.
Developing cancer immunotherapies that do not target healthy cells.
 
Cortendo
Trevose, PA
SBBP
Nasdaq
$86 TVM, HealthCap
RA Capital, NEA
BofA ML
Stifel
Developing therapies for Cushing's syndrome and acromegaly.
 
Mirna Therapeutics
Austin, TX
MIRN
Nasdaq
$81 Sofinovva, NEA
Pfizer, Baxalta
Citi
Leerink Partners
Developing microRNA replacement therapies for cancer.
 
Allegiance Bancshares
Houston, TX
ABTX
Nasdaq
$60  Management
Directors
Baird
Stephens
Commercial bank with 16 locations in Houston and $2 billion in assets.
 
Advanced Inhalation Therapies
Rehovot, Israel
AITP
Nasdaq
$36 Israeli investors
CEO
Aegis Capital
Inhaled nitric oxide drug-device therapies for respiratory infections.
 
Source: IPO ETF manager Renaissance Capital    

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IPO Market Snapshot
The Renaissance IPO Indices are market cap weighted baskets of newly public companies. The Renaissance IPO Index has traded down 3.9% year-to-date, below the S&P 500's 3.4% loss due to the decline of Alibaba and Twitter. Renaissance Capital's IPO ETF (NYSE: IPO) tracks the index, and top ETF holdings include Alibaba (BABA), Hilton Worldwide (HLT) and Twitter (TWTR). The Renaissance International IPO Index has traded down 1.0% year-to-date, compared to -4.6% for the ACWX. Renaissance Capital’s International IPO ETF (NYSE: IPOS) tracks the index, and top ETF Holdings include Recruit Holdings and Cheil Industries. To find out if this is the best ETF for you, visit our IPO Investing page.