Underpricing and Partial Adjustment in Brazilian Private Equity Backed IPOs

Abstract

This paper analyzes how the sponsorship of a private equity firm impacts underpricing of initial public offerings (IPOs). Underpricing is well documented in financial literature, and there are evidences that one of its causes is partial adjustment. Partial adjustment occurs when the underwriter of an issue does not adjust the offering price to the demand observed during the bookbuilding process, creating positive initial returns. We analyze IPOs issued in Brazil between 2004 and 2014. We considered the overallotment option in estimating the underpricing, and our results conclude that partial adjustments and underpricing are higher for private equity backed IPOs.