Choosing the right IPO might be tricky. Many investors follow the herd mentality and get themselves into investing in IPO without knowing much about it. Investors, especially beginners, may face difficulty in finding the right IPO and the right platform to begin investing. It is essential to understand that it presents both profit and loss, and negligence in choosing the right one may lead to huge losses.
Let us assist you in understanding what an IPO is and all the important information required to make a successful investment.
What is an IPO?
As the name suggests, the process of raising money from the public in the initial stage is called an Initial Public Offering (IPO). A private company goes public by making its shares available to the public for the first time. This is a systematic procedure in which the business lists its shares on reputable stock exchanges, such as the Bombay Stock Exchange in India or the National Stock Exchange.
In short, an IPO is publicly allowing people to buy shares, gain ownership in return for investing their money in the growth of the company. The open market can then be used to trade these shares.
Principal Objectives of an IPO:
- Obtain Funds: The main purpose of raising an IPO is to obtain funds from people to invest in new projects, pay off debt, or finance expansion.
- Existing Shareholder Liquidity: It gives an opportunity for early investors and promoters to sell a portion of their holdings and gain profit.
- Credibility and Brand Visibility: A public listing expands the company’s market reach and improves its reputation.
As an illustration, let’s say that XYZ Pvt. Ltd., a prosperous tech startup, wishes to raise ₹500 crores to grow. It offers 2 crore shares to the public in a book-building IPO, setting a price range of ₹200 to ₹220 per share. The final price is discovered based on investor demand within this range, with retail investors often applying at the “cut-off price” to increase their chances of allotment.
How to Evaluate an IPO Before Investing in 2025?
1. Examine the company’s Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP):
- It is accessible on the SEBI website and provides important information that an investor may require to know before deciding whether they want to invest in that IPO or not.
- The information is related to the promoter’s background, financial reports, risk factors involved, business model, etc.
- It is important to pay attention to the IPO’s goals, whether it is to pay off debt or the money will be used for expansion, and then make a conscious decision.
2. Verify Financial Health:
- Examine the DRHP’s financial data for at least three years before committing.
- A steady growth in revenue and profit may be encouraging. Check for the profitability level, which is indicated by the gross, operating, and net profit margins.
- Checking the level of debt is also important, as unless the money is intended for repayment, a high debt level may be cause for concern.
- Cash flow plays an equally important role in determining the financial health of the company, as a healthy operation is indicated by positive operating cash flows.
3. Understand the Industry and Business
- Understanding the industry can give you an idea about how the company is going to perform.
- Focus on factors like the chances of expansion in that industry, for example, green energy, AI, or EVs have a high possibility of growth.
- Focus on how saturated the market is and what the USP of the company is.
4. Quality of Promoter & Management
- Consider the promoters’ reputation, experience, and background.
- Look for any past legal or regulatory troubles.
- Credibility is increased by a capable, forward-thinking leadership group.
5. Measures of Valuation
- Examine the IPO pricing in relation to the following:
- Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E)
- Price-to-Book Value, or P/B Ratio
- EBITDA/EV
Pros and Cons of Investing in IPOs
Pros:
- Early Entry Opportunity: The chance to make initial investments in rapidly expanding businesses.
- Listing Gains: Investors frequently experience significant listing-day profits if the IPO is in high demand.
- Access to cutting-edge industries like EVs, clean energy, or SaaS is one way to diversify your portfolio.
- Transparency: SEBI-mandated disclosures before and after listing — such as detailed IPO documents, quarterly financial results, and insider trading norms — increase investor confidence and market fairness.
Cons:
- Overvaluation: Particularly during bull markets, some initial public offerings (IPOs) have aggressive prices.
- Hype-Driven Investing: Losses may result from blindly following market rumours.
- Anchor Investor Lock-in Period: Anchor investors are required to hold at least 50% of their shares for a 30-day lock-in period, and the remaining 50% for 90 days, as per SEBI guidelines. After this period, some may exit, which can lead to short-term volatility in the stock price.
- Limited Historical Data: Since many businesses are new and have little experience, it is difficult to predict the future.
Tips for First-Time IPO Investors in 2025
- Before listing, some investors refer to the Grey Market Premium (GMP) to gauge informal demand. However, it is important to note that GMP is unofficial, unregulated, and can be speculative. It should never be the sole basis for investment decisions.
- Retail investors can apply via UPI, which is quick, secure, and allows easy tracking of applications. Institutional and high-net-worth investors, however, typically apply through the ASBA process via their banks.
- Don’t invest all at once; rather, invest a portion of your money in initial public offerings (IPOs); the remaining should be allocated to mutual funds or blue-chip stocks.
- Read expert reviews and seek opinions from analysts registered with SEBI that are supported by research.
Bottomline
The bottom line is that, as interesting as an IPO may sound, thorough analysis is required to avoid loss. It is important to know the motive of the company for launching the IPO, like settling debt or expansion. Investors may follow the steps listed to analyse the required aspects before making a decision to invest or not. Rushing into an IPO may lead to financial setbacks.
Investing is not about joining the race but knowing personal objectives, risk-bearing capacity, and capital available. Being aware while choosing the investment option will help in making a conscious and right decision.
