Industry networks and IPO waves

We offer a new perspective on why initial public offerings (IPOs) occur in waves and propose that the customer-supplier relationships among industries help propagate IPO waves. Our empirical tests provide evidence that demand shocks increase the number of IPOs in an industry. The shocks then spread upstream through customer relationships leading to an increase in the number of IPOs in more central and connected industries. These findings contribute to the IPO literature by demonstrating the channel through which IPO waves propagate.