US IPO Candidates Have Four Weeks to Pick From as Shutdown Drags

The opportunities to go public on US exchanges by the end of the year have been sharply narrowed by the federal government shutdown, holidays and financial reporting rules, leaving companies facing tough decisions.

“There’s about four weeks that are viable,” said Jill Ford, Wells Fargo & Co.’s co-head of equity capital markets. “Two before Thanksgiving, two after Thanksgiving, assuming the new issue markets shut for the last two weeks of December.”

So far, only Navan Inc., Beta Technologies Inc., MapLight Therapeutics Inc. and Exzeo Group Inc. are pushing ahead with sizable deals rather than wait for ...