Do IPOs Affect the Market Price? Evidence from China

We examine whether sizable initial public offerings (IPOs) affect the whole market. Using a Chinese IPO sample, we find robust evidence that sizable IPOs do depress the market price on not only the listing day but also the offering (subscription) day. The impact on the market is negatively correlated with the IPO size on the listing day. However, the IPO impact is largely transitory. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) often places a moratorium on IPOs to support the market, which seems ineffective as the negative IPO effect is transitory and moratoriums are not perceived as good news.