An IPO is run by a cast of firms, and their names are disclosed in the prospectus. Their history is public, and surprisingly predictive of how deals are priced and marketed.
Principal adviser
The investment bank that runs the listing: structures the deal, sets the price with the company, and shepherds it through the regulator. The strongest track-record signal of the four.
Underwriter
Commits to buying any public-offer shares that go unsold. The safety net that lets the deal proceed.
Placement agent
Places shares directly with institutional and selected investors, outside the public ballot.
Cornerstone investors
Funds that commit to large stakes before the offer opens (think government-linked funds and big asset managers). Their presence signals institutional confidence, and their names are worth knowing.
Because every deal's participants and outcomes are public, you can rank firms by how their IPOs actually debuted: average first-day performance, hit rate, and whether their pops hold a month later or fade.
See the league table
The Deal makers tab ranks every adviser, underwriter, placement agent and cornerstone by their real record, with a full profile per firm.
Open Deal makers →