Latest news with #IsabelleFreidheim


Qatar Tribune
13 hours ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Global equity IPOs slumps in 2025 as tariffs, volatility weigh
Agencies New York Global equity IPOs have plunged this year, weighed down by heightened business uncertainty from US tariffs, elevated market volatility and higher interest rates that have raised funding costs and made listings less appealing forissuers. According to LSEG data, as of June 17, global IPO volume has declined about 9.3 percent year-on-year to $44.3 billion, the lowest level in nine years. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which included a 10 percent blanket levy plus targeted duties on U.S. trading partners, re-ignited tensions in April. Despite his subsequent pause and negotiations on trade and tariffs, businesses globally are uncertain about demand and investment. 'It's not prudent for companies to go public right now. The volatility in the market is unprecedented,' said Isabelle Freidheim, founder and managing partner at AthenaCapital. 'There's real risk for tech companies that are still figuring out profitability. If the stock drops after the IPO, it's very hard to recover, especially for companies with less steady cash flow or that aren't as mature.' Despite the broader slowdown, China and Japan have seen a sharp pickup in listings, driven by regulatory easing and improved sentiment. A standout was Chinese battery giant CATL, which raised $4.6 billion in the world's largest IPO so far this year, boosted by renewed market momentum following the US tariff truce. At the same time, some analysts are cautiously optimistic about a second-half recovery. US IPO interest is showing signs of a rebound, led by fintech firm Chime, which surged on its debut. High-profile names such as Klarna, Gemini and Cerebras are slated to list later this year. 'With US, European defence contractors and Indian consumer names also filing, late-2025 could deliver a textbook 'trickle-then-torrent' if volatility behaves,' said Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors.


CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Global IPO activity slumps in 2025 as tariffs, volatility weigh
Global equity IPOs have plunged this year, weighed down by heightened business uncertainty from US tariffs, elevated market volatility and higher interest rates that have raised funding costs and made listings less appealing for issuers. According to LSEG data, as of Jun 17, global IPO volume has declined about 9.3 per cent year-on-year to US$44.3 billion, the lowest level in nine years. US IPO volumes dropped 12 per cent to US$12.3 billion, while Europe saw a sharper 64 per cent decline to US$5.8 billion. In contrast, Asia-Pacific IPO volumes have risen 28 per cent to US$16.8 billion so far this year. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which included a 10 per cent blanket levy plus targeted duties on U.S. trading partners, re-ignited tensions in April. Despite his subsequent pause and negotiations on trade and tariffs, businesses globally are uncertain about demand and investment. "It's not prudent for companies to go public right now. The volatility in the market is unprecedented," said Isabelle Freidheim, founder and managing partner at Athena Capital. "There's real risk for tech companies that are still figuring out profitability. If the stock drops after the IPO, it's very hard to recover, especially for companies with less steady cash flow or that aren't as mature." Despite the broader slowdown, China and Japan have seen a sharp pickup in listings, driven by regulatory easing and improved sentiment. A standout was Chinese battery giant CATL, which raised US$4.6 billion in the world's largest IPO so far this year, boosted by renewed market momentum following the US tariff truce. At the same time, some analysts are cautiously optimistic about a second-half recovery. US IPO interest is showing signs of a rebound, led by fintech firm Chime, which surged on its debut. High-profile names such as Klarna, Gemini and Cerebras are slated to list later this year.


Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Global IPO activity slumps in 2025 as tariffs, volatility weigh
Global equity IPOs have plunged this year, weighed down by heightened business uncertainty from U.S. tariffs, elevated market volatility and higher interest rates that have raised funding costs and made listings less appealing for issuers. According to LSEG data, as of June 17, global IPO volume has declined about 9.3% year-on-year to $44.3 billion, the lowest level in nine years. U.S. IPO volumes dropped 12% to $12.3 billion, while Europe saw a sharper 64% decline to $5.8 billion. In contrast, Asia-Pacific IPO volumes have risen 28% to $16.8 billion so far this year. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which included a 10% blanket levy plus targeted duties on U.S. trading partners, re-ignited tensions in April. Despite his subsequent pause and negotiations on trade and tariffs, businesses globally are uncertain about demand and investment. "It's not prudent for companies to go public right now. The volatility in the market is unprecedented," said Isabelle Freidheim, founder and managing partner at Athena Capital. "There's real risk for tech companies that are still figuring out profitability. If the stock drops after the IPO, it's very hard to recover, especially for companies with less steady cash flow or that aren't as mature." Despite the broader slowdown, China and Japan have seen a sharp pickup in listings, driven by regulatory easing and improved sentiment. A standout was Chinese battery giant CATL, which raised $4.6 billion in the world's largest IPO so far this year, boosted by renewed market momentum following the U.S. tariff truce. At the same time, some analysts are cautiously optimistic about a second-half recovery. U.S. IPO interest is showing signs of a rebound, led by fintech firm Chime, which surged on its debut. High-profile names such as Klarna, Gemini and Cerebras are slated to list later this year. "With U.S., European defence contractors and Indian consumer names also filing, late-2025 could deliver a textbook 'trickle-then-torrent' if volatility behaves," said Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors. (Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy, Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Global IPO activity slumps in 2025 as tariffs, volatility weigh
By Patturaja Murugaboopathy (Reuters) -Global equity IPOs have plunged this year, weighed down by heightened business uncertainty from U.S. tariffs, elevated market volatility and higher interest rates that have raised funding costs and made listings less appealing for issuers. According to LSEG data, as of June 17, global IPO volume has declined about 9.3% year-on-year to $44.3 billion, the lowest level in nine years. U.S. IPO volumes dropped 12% to $12.3 billion, while Europe saw a sharper 64% decline to $5.8 billion. In contrast, Asia-Pacific IPO volumes have risen 28% to $16.8 billion so far this year. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which included a 10% blanket levy plus targeted duties on U.S. trading partners, re-ignited tensions in April. Despite his subsequent pause and negotiations on trade and tariffs, businesses globally are uncertain about demand and investment. "It's not prudent for companies to go public right now. The volatility in the market is unprecedented," said Isabelle Freidheim, founder and managing partner at Athena Capital. "There's real risk for tech companies that are still figuring out profitability. If the stock drops after the IPO, it's very hard to recover, especially for companies with less steady cash flow or that aren't as mature." Despite the broader slowdown, China and Japan have seen a sharp pickup in listings, driven by regulatory easing and improved sentiment. A standout was Chinese battery giant CATL, which raised $4.6 billion in the world's largest IPO so far this year, boosted by renewed market momentum following the U.S. tariff truce. At the same time, some analysts are cautiously optimistic about a second-half recovery. U.S. IPO interest is showing signs of a rebound, led by fintech firm Chime, which surged on its debut. High-profile names such as Klarna, Gemini and Cerebras are slated to list later this year. "With U.S., European defence contractors and Indian consumer names also filing, late-2025 could deliver a textbook 'trickle-then-torrent' if volatility behaves," said Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors. (Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy, Raju Gopalakrishnan) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Athena Capital announces new board, headlined by Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn
Olympic gold-medalist and alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn is no stranger to going downhill—but she's soon going to be focused on making investors' wealth climb. Supersonic air travel gets green light in U.S. after 50-year ban lifted Why you're catching the 'ick' so easily, according to science How to Watch George Clooney's Broadway play 'Good Night, and Good Luck' live for free Vonn is joining the newly formed advisory board at Athena Capital, an all-female venture capital and private equity firm. Isabelle Freidheim, the founder and managing partner of Athena Capital, says that she and Vonn have been acquainted for some time, as Freidheim had been involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee, and had met with her at numerous conferences over the years. 'I was always impressed with how genuine she is,' Freidheim says of Vonn. Accordingly, 'Bringing someone like Lindsey in, who is like-minded and mission-aligned, brings more enthusiasm to the firm.' As such, 'we're very excited to announce her joining our board.' Vonn is an active investor and businesswoman, but is best known for her exploits on the slopes, which include three Olympic medals, eight World Championships, and more. She is also planning a comeback for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Cortina, Italy. The comeback is notable as Vonn, now 40 years old, has recovered from a partial knee replacement as well. So, in addition to her board duties, she'll be giving the Olympics one last shot, but she's confident she can balance the two. 'Athena's mission is something that deeply resonates with me, so I was excited to get on board. When I commit to something, I do everything in my power to approach it to the absolute best of my ability. Even though the next year will be busy, I feel strongly about my role as a board member just as I do about my athletic career,' Vonn tells Fast Company. 'Competitive skiing is all about operating under pressure and being precise with your every move. It requires extensive knowledge and training to be successful in the sport. That's very similar to what venture capitalists do: evaluating potential, taking calculated risks, and trying to stay on top of everything you're doing. Both require a sharpness and tenacity, and I think a similar competitive mindset exists between the two.' With her interest and experience in the investment space, Freidheim says that having Vonn join the board made sense. 'Lindsey's been an investor for quite some time already, and is pretty astute. She has a high profile,' she says. Freidheim says that other members of the board will be announced one by one, on an ongoing basis. In the meantime, Vonn will focus on skiing—and trying to make some noise on the slopes in addition to the boardroom. 'I felt better skiing this past season than I did at the end of my career, and I am without pain for the first time in years,' she says. 'When I retired in 2019, it was of necessity. My body was broken beyond repair, so I knew it was a choice I had to make, but it wasn't fully on my terms. Competing in another Olympics in Cortina would feel full-circle.' This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: