Public companies must adhere to strict regulations set forth by a governing body (the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK) which oversees auditable financial and accounting reports every quarter. Additionally, the stock exchange, which lists the shares, will have its own rules and regulations that companies must follow; but being able to float on a stock exchange will allow the company to carry a certain level of prestige and therefore appear more attractive to buyers.
Following a year which saw several huge IPOs, on both the London and New York stock exchanges, it’s worth examining the effects that an IPO can have on a company, looking in particular at the potential pros and cons in light of recent IPOs.