Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 31
Jersey Mike's Drops Nearly 6% in IPO Debut as Private Markets Keep Rivals Waiting
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 31

Jersey Mike's Drops Nearly 6% in IPO Debut as Private Markets Keep Rivals Waiting

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 31

Summary

  • Jersey Mike's closed nearly 6% below its IPO price Thursday, while Reformation finished essentially flat, extending a muted 2026 debut market for consumer listings.
  • 743 IPOs hit Nasdaq in 2021, but far fewer companies are listing now as private capital, secondary share sales and megafunds give founders liquidity without going public.
  • Under 4,000 U.S. public companies remain today versus just under 8,000 30 years ago, according to Powerlaw CEO Mike Dinsdale, who said founders also want to avoid quarterly scrutiny and disclosure.
  • Trump has floated ending mandatory quarterly reporting in favor of twice-yearly filings, a change SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has backed as companies argue public-market compliance has become too burdensome.
  • Investors still expect some delayed listings over the next 12 to 18 months, but advisers say a broader IPO revival will require better market conditions and lighter reporting obligations.

Insights

If a brand with twenty consecutive quarters of growth falls flat, what does it actually take to survive a 2026 IPO?
Could the massive rise of private continuation funds be hiding a ticking time bomb of startups avoiding public scrutiny?
With trillions locked in private markets, are everyday investors being permanently shut out of the next major wealth boom?