2017 wasn't a particularly hot or cold year for initial public offerings on the stock market. According to data compiled by IPO specialist Renaissance Capital, 160 new share issues were priced, which is only slightly below the average of the years from 2010 to 2016.
As ever, some of these many issues were more high profile than others, due to numerous factors (size, existing brand recognition, etc.). With that in mind, here's a look back at four prominent issuers and how they've done since their market debuts.
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Redfin
One of the top names in online real estate, Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN) has proven to be a popular stock since its July IPO.
What helped was the company's first earnings report as a publicly traded entity, in which it hit the upper end of its guidance -- revenue rose by 35% on a year-over-year basis (to almost $105 million), while net income tripled and then some to $4.3 million. The following quarter brought the company down to earth, however: it missed analyst estimates for revenue, and its headline net profit landed in the red.
Since then, however, investors have been returning to the stock, likely encouraged by a high-demand housing market that shows little sign of slowing down.
Redfin currently trades at $29.45 per share. That's almost double the stock's IPO price of $15.
Roku
Another IPO success story is Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU), the California-based maker of popular streaming TV devices -- the stock has risen by 280% from the $14 per share price set in advance of its September market debut.
In its first (and so far only) earnings report as a stock market entity, Roku blew past estimates, growing net revenue by 40% to almost $125 million with a net loss of nearly $9 million. Operational metrics -- active accounts, total hours streamed, and average revenue per user -- all headed sharply north.
There are a few caveats, however. Roku has almost always been unprofitable, and analysts are expecting full-year losses for both 2017 and 2018. Also, much of its usage comes through its Netlix and YouTube channels. Unfortunately, the company draws little revenue from those outlets.
But given the stock's heady price appreciation, it appears that investors are focusing on the positives for now.
Blue Apron Holdings
Hate making dinner? Fortunately for you, a host of prepared-meal delivery services have sprung up to make the process easier. Arguably the best-known one is Blue Apron Holdings (NYSE: APRN).
That hasn't made it a good performer on the market, however; since its June debut, the company's stock trades at less than half its IPO price of $10 per share.