Signalling by underpricing in the IPO market

Empirical evidence suggests the existence of ‘hot-issue’ markets for initial public offerings: in certain periods and in certain industries, new issues are underpriced and rationing occurs. This paper develops a model consistent with this observation, which assumes the firm itself best knows its prospects. In certain circumstances, firms with the most favorable prospects find it optimal to signal their type by underpricing their initial issue of shares, and investors know that only the best can recoup the cost of this signal from subsequent issues.