IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/corfin/v95y2025ics0929119925001518.html

Reputation acquisition and abnormal performance in IPO underwriting

Author

Listed:
  • Busaba, Walid Y.
  • Liu, Zheng
  • Restrepo, Felipe

Abstract

We examine how an underwriter's reputation accumulates upon each attempt to take a firm public, conditional on the bank demonstrating abnormal performance bringing—or failing to bring—the offering to market. We develop a novel measure of abnormal underwriting performance by weighing the ex-ante difficulty of completing the offering against the actual outcome. We show this measure positively associates with future changes in the underwriter's market share and issuing volume. The effect manifests as access to more offerings and is prominent when difficult offerings are completed, for abnormal performance demonstrated in midmarket ($20–$100 million) and large IPOs, and for both the primary lead and co‑lead underwriters. Abnormal performance is associated with a higher underwriting spread and aggressive IPO pricing.

Suggested Citation

  • Busaba, Walid Y. & Liu, Zheng & Restrepo, Felipe, 2025. "Reputation acquisition and abnormal performance in IPO underwriting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:95:y:2025:i:c:s0929119925001518
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2025.102883
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929119925001518
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2025.102883?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Beatty, Randolph P. & Ritter, Jay R., 1986. "Investment banking, reputation, and the underpricing of initial public offerings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1-2), pages 213-232.
    2. Naveen Khanna & Thomas H. Noe & Ramana Sonti, 2008. "Good IPOs Draw in Bad: Inelastic Banking Capacity and Hot Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 21(5), pages 1873-1906, September.
    3. Nanda, Vikram & Yun, Youngkeol, 1997. "Reputation and Financial Intermediation: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of IPO Mispricing on Underwriter Market Value," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 39-63, January.
    4. Liu, Xiaoding & Ritter, Jay R., 2011. "Local underwriter oligopolies and IPO underpricing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(3), pages 579-601.
    5. Benveniste, Lawrence M. & Busaba, Walid Y. & Wilhelm, William Jr., 2002. "Information Externalities and the Role of Underwriters in Primary Equity Markets," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 61-86, January.
    6. Hsuan‐Chi Chen & Jay R. Ritter, 2000. "The Seven Percent Solution," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(3), pages 1105-1131, June.
    7. Neil Brisley & Walid Y. Busaba, 2007. "Secret Reservation Prices in Bookbuilding," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 11(4), pages 693-718.
    8. Chitru S. Fernando & Vladimir A. Gatchev & Paul A. Spindt, 2005. "Wanna Dance? How Firms and Underwriters Choose Each Other," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(5), pages 2437-2469, October.
    9. Dunbar, Craig G. & Foerster, Stephen R., 2008. "Second time lucky? Withdrawn IPOs that return to the market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(3), pages 610-635, March.
    10. Ari Kang & Richard Lowery, 2014. "The Pricing of IPO Services and Issues: Theory and Estimation," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 2(2), pages 188-234.
    11. Alexander Ljungqvist & Felicia Marston & William J. Wilhelm, 2009. "Scaling the Hierarchy: How and Why Investment Banks Compete for Syndicate Co-management Appointments," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(10), pages 3977-4007, October.
    12. Carter, Richard B & Manaster, Steven, 1990. "Initial Public Offerings and Underwriter Reputation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(4), pages 1045-1067, September.
    13. Walid Y. Busaba & Yun Li & Guorong Yang, 2015. "Market Volatility and IPO Filing Activity," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(04), pages 1-46, December.
    14. Gerard Hoberg, 2007. "The Underwriter Persistence Phenomenon," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(3), pages 1169-1206, June.
    15. Lawrence M. Benveniste & Alexander Ljungqvist & William J. Wilhelm & Xiaoyun Yu, 2003. "Evidence of Information Spillovers in the Production of Investment Banking Services," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(2), pages 577-608, April.
    16. Naveen Khanna & Thomas H. Noe & Ramana Sonti, 2008. "Good IPOs draw in bad: Inelastic banking capacity and hot markets," Economics Series Working Papers 2008fe10, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    17. Busaba, Walid Y., 2006. "Bookbuilding, the option to withdraw, and the timing of IPOs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 159-186, January.
    18. Alexander P. Ljungqvist & Tim Jenkinson & William J. Wilhelm, Jr., 2003. "Global Integration in Primary Equity Markets: The Role of U.S. Banks and U.S. Investors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 63-99.
    19. François Derrien & Olivier Dessaint, 2018. "The Effects of Investment Bank Rankings: Evidence from M&A League Tables," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 22(4), pages 1375-1411.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Evgeny Lyandres & Fangjian Fu & Erica X. N. Li, 2018. "Do Underwriters Compete in IPO Pricing?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(2), pages 925-954, February.
    2. Boeh, Kevin K. & Dunbar, Craig, 2016. "Underwriter deal pipeline and the pricing of IPOs," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 383-399.
    3. Fernando, Chitru S. & Gatchev, Vladimir A. & May, Anthony D. & Megginson, William L., 2015. "Prestige without purpose? Reputation, differentiation, and pricing in U.S. equity underwriting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 41-63.
    4. Charles W. Calomiris & Yehuda Izhakian & Jaime F. Zender, 2019. "Underwriter Reputation, Issuer-Underwriter Matching, and SEO Performance," NBER Working Papers 26344, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Carbó-Valverde, Santiago & Cuadros-Solas, Pedro J. & Rodríguez-Fernández, Francisco, 2021. "Non-pricing drivers of underwriters’ market shares in corporate bond markets," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 671-693.
    6. Boeh, Kevin & Dunbar, Craig, 2014. "IPO waves and the issuance process," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 455-473.
    7. Carbó-Valverde, Santiago & Cuadros-Solas, Pedro J. & Rodríguez-Fernández, Francisco, 2021. "The impact of lending relationships on the choice and structure of bond underwriting syndicates," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    8. Su, Chen & Brookfield, David, 2013. "An evaluation of the impact of stock market reforms on IPO under-pricing in China: The certification role of underwriters," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 20-33.
    9. Dorsman, André & Gounopoulos, Dimitrios, 2013. "European Sovereign Debt Crisis and the performance of Dutch IPOs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 308-319.
    10. Chen, Peter F. & Hou, Qingchuan & Wang, Yihong & Xu, Lifang, 2024. "The underwriter's conflict of interest and earnings forecast bias in prospectus: Evidence from Hong Kong," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    11. Kaneko, Takashi & Pettway, Richard H., 2003. "Auctions versus book building of Japanese IPOs," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 439-462, September.
    12. Ljungqvist, Alexander, 2003. "Conflicts of Interest and Efficient Contracting in IPOs," CEPR Discussion Papers 4163, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. Su, Chen & Bangassa, Kenbata, 2011. "The impact of underwriter reputation on initial returns and long-run performance of Chinese IPOs," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 760-791.
    14. Reiff, Annika & Tykvová, Tereza, 2021. "IPO withdrawals: Are corporate governance and VC characteristics the guiding light in the rough sea of volatile markets?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    15. Robert M. Bushman & Regina Wittenberg‐Moerman, 2012. "The Role of Bank Reputation in “Certifying” Future Performance Implications of Borrowers’ Accounting Numbers," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 50(4), pages 883-930, September.
    16. Hugh M.J. Colaco & Shantaram P. Hegde, 2013. "Underwriter reputation, bookbuilding and IPO duration," Chapters, in: Mario Levis & Silvio Vismara (ed.), Handbook of Research on IPOs, chapter 8, pages 159-176, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. Vithanage, Kulunu & Neupane, Suman & Chung, Richard, 2016. "Multiple lead underwriting syndicate and IPO pricing," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 193-208.
    18. Carbó-Valverde, Santiago & Cuadros-Solas, Pedro J. & Rodríguez-Fernández, Francisco, 2017. "Do banks and industrial companies have equal access to reputable underwriters in debt markets?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 176-202.
    19. Agathee, Ushad Subadar & Sannassee, Raja Vinesh & Brooks, Chris, 2012. "The underpricing of IPOs on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 281-303.
    20. Manconi, Alberto & Neretina, Ekaterina & Renneboog, Luc, 2018. "Underwriter Competition and Bargaining Power in the Corporate Bond Market," Discussion Paper 2018-034, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:95:y:2025:i:c:s0929119925001518. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jcorpfin .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.