The decision to go public and the IPO underpricing with locally biased investors

We provide new evidence that local investors are peculiarly biased towards local IPO stocks. Taking the well-known investor preference for local stocks a step further, we contribute by showing that local IPOs boost stock market participation far more intensely than local listed firms. Interestingly, the effect is driven by individuals born and raised in the region, having zero effect for those who have moved to the area. Consistent with underwriters significantly under-estimating the local investors’ demand in local IPOs, the probability of a private firm to go public, the IPO underpricing and the cross-sectional volatility of IPO initial returns, increase in remote firms where the local investors’ demand in local IPOs is particularly high. Overall, our results suggest that local investors are crucial for the IPO decision.