Nasdaq CEO Warns IPO Window Has Softened as Listings Drop to 167
NDAQ sits 34% above its 52-week low of $76.55.
Summary
CEO Adena Friedman said on the Q3 earnings call that the IPO market has softened modestly, with issuers across several sectors re-evaluating the timing of their debuts. The damage is visible in the numbers: total new listings at Nasdaq fell to 167 in the third quarter from 205 a year earlier. Oura postponed its Nasdaq debut in September and Holtec Nuclear withdrew its planned US IPO, both citing volatile conditions, and the article ties the chill to Middle East conflict, a wartime energy shock, Fed rate hikes and a 30-year Treasury yield near two-decade highs. Friedman still calls the listings pipeline robust, but Renaissance Capital's Matt Kennedy said a big rebound to close out 2026 is unlikely unless AI enthusiasm returns, with more companies penciling in 2027. The listings slowdown is a forward headwind for the exchange's core franchise, though shares were up 6.7% in morning trading after the company beat quarterly estimates.
At the time of this announcement, NDAQ was trading at $102.68 on NASDAQ in the Finance sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $57.4B. The 52-week trading range was $76.55 to $102.94. This news item was assessed with negative market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10. Source: Reuters.