Curious about folks’ thoughts on a Pershing US IPO?

Personally would speculate it’d be a much less attractive place to work if it went public.

Much of the allure (at least to me) of large private HFs is their private nature and consequent lack of strenuous regulation (usually means higher comp). Feel like this is essentially gone if they IPO and it’s just gonna be a payday for current partners / AckDaddy.  

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Based on previous WSO threads, here are some insights on the potential impact of a Pershing US IPO:

  1. Attractiveness as a Workplace:

    • The allure of large private hedge funds often lies in their private nature, which typically involves less stringent regulation and potentially higher compensation. An IPO could change this dynamic, making the firm less attractive to some employees who value the private structure.
  2. Regulation and Compensation:

    • Going public usually brings about increased regulatory scrutiny. This could lead to changes in the firm's operations and compensation structures. The higher compensation associated with private hedge funds might be affected due to the need to comply with public company regulations.
  3. Current Partners' Payday:

    • An IPO is often seen as a liquidity event for current partners. It can be perceived as a move to cash out, which might not align with the long-term interests of new or potential employees.
  4. Cultural Shift:

    • The transition from a private to a public entity can lead to significant cultural shifts within the firm. Employees who joined for the private hedge fund environment might find the new public company culture less appealing.

These points reflect common concerns and considerations discussed in the WSO community regarding hedge funds contemplating an IPO.

Sources: Thoughts on Investor Relations? A good or bad move?, Why do you think public equity is more interesting than private equity?, Thoughts on Starting Investment Bank/M&A Advisory for my Company, Thoughts on Piper Sandler, Thoughts on American Securities?

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I never understand the attractiveness of taking HF's public, especially funds that run with a lean team. Unnecessary burden imo but again I'm not running an HF lol

 

Yes you get liquidity in your partnership stake and can get more money vs remaining private but there's additional compliance, regulatory, quarterly earnings bs. Plus investors start pressuring on increasing fee-earning AUM. I think you're better off with it being private as you can do whatever you want like Bill downsizing his firm when he abandoned his activist/short strategy would have been hard to do had his firm been public. Just my opinion but I'm not in the HF industry so it doesn't matter much lol

 
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What do you mean? They sold a 10% stake for $1bn to private investors, and none of this is a liquidity event for the team. $500mm is seeding his new US fund and the balance will be for other fund launches. I will be shocked if this trades anywhere remotely close to $10b at IPO, unless they are going to do a Aramco and float like $100mm of market cap which again doesn't provide a true marker of value. 

If this is truly the proper value, the public alts are grossly undervalued at current levels 

 

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