Excited about the Instacart IPO?: What Every Retail Investor Must Know Before Investing in IPOs

You've caught wind of the latest buzzword in the financial world - the much-anticipated IPO of InstaCart. Everyone from your delivery man to your supermarket checkout clerk seems to be talking about it. But before you dive headfirst into the frenzy, it's essential to know the ins and outs of an IPO.

The Behind-the-Scenes Scoop on IPOs

Let's peel back the curtain and take a peek at what happens behind the scenes before a company goes public. The issuer, the company offering the shares, typically partners with a bank or financial institution to underwrite the IPO. This underwriter plays matchmaker, introducing the company to its top-tier clients and gauging their interest in the IPO. After considering market conditions and potential investors' preliminary interest, the underwriter recommends a price to the issuer. This price determination process is known as bookbuilding.

Despite all this, some IPOs are wildly mispriced. Why? Well, an overpriced IPO can raise more capital for the company and fatten the underwriter's wallet, as their compensation is a percentage of the offering price. On the flip side, an IPO can be underpriced to stoke demand by making the shares more appealing to investors or if the underwriters underestimated the market's appetite for the new shares.

The Information Gap for Retail Investors

As a retail investor, you're often at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing information during an IPO. Even if your broker rolls out the red carpet and invites you to participate, you're unlikely to have the same level of access to information as institutional investors. This information gap can make it challenging to make well-informed decisions and invest effectively.

To protect your hard-earned cash from being squandered on IPO day madness, here are Three steps to follow:

1. Research, research, research

   Obtaining information on private companies gearing up to go public can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Unlike publicly traded companies, private companies don't have a legion of analysts dissecting their every move that you can look back on from years past. Although the prospectus, a document that lays out the risks, opportunities, and proposed uses of the IPO funds, is a must-read, remember it's penned by the company itself, not an impartial third party.

   Dig into the company's registration statement on the SEC's EDGAR database, scrutinize press releases, and analyze the health of the industry and competitors. Sometimes, your research may reveal that the company's prospects are overhyped, and sitting out the investment may be the wisest move.

   
   

2. Approach with Caution

   A healthy dose of skepticism is your best friend in the IPO market. If your broker is aggressively peddling a particular IPO, it may be because the 'big money' players have passed, leaving you with the crumbs. Also, brokers often reserve IPO allocations for their favored clients, so unless you're a high roller, your chances of getting in may be slim.

   
   

3. Wait for the Lock-Up Period to End

   The lock-up period is a contractual agreement between the underwriters and company insiders, preventing them from selling any shares for a specified period, usually six months. Waiting until this period expires can be a smart strategy, as it can indicate the company's long-term prospects. Additionally, the IPO's initial trading days often see dramatic price swings, making it risky to buy shares immediately after the IPO.

   
   

4. Assess the Market Overhang

   The market overhang refers to the number of shares not available for trading at the time of the IPO but will become available later. This can impact stock prices, so it's wise to let stock prices stabilize after the initial trading frenzy.

   
   

5. Be Mindful of the Greenshoe Option

   Underwriters may exercise a greenshoe option, an over allotment option that allows them to sell additional shares if demand is higher than expected. This can be used as a price-stabilization strategy but can also limit trading volumes and affect stock prices.

   
   

In Summary

Investing in an IPO, like the upcoming Instacart one, can be exciting but also fraught with risks. Arm yourself with as much information as possible, approach with caution, and don't be afraid to sit it out if it doesn't align with your investment strategy. Remember, a good company will still be a good investment even after the lock-up period ends."