Wednesday 05 August 2026 5:03 am  |  Updated:  Tuesday 04 August 2026 1:10 pm

IPOs aren’t the new meme stocks

By: Carl Hazeley

Share

Facebook Share on Facebook X Share on Twitter LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn WhatsApp Share on WhatsApp Email Share on Email

The market may be producing bigger IPO stories. like SpaceX and Anthropic, but that doesn’t mean retail investors are blindly buying the hype, says Carl Hazeley

If you only read the headlines, you’d think retail investors had found their next obsession: blockbuster IPOs.

SpaceX has dominated the conversation again this week as investors digest its first results as a public company. The coverage about record-breaking retail demand and a new era for public listings would have you believe retail investors have found their next hype trade.

But that mischaracterised what’s actually happening. There’s no doubt the SpaceX IPO was a landmark moment. More than 100,000 UK retail investors applied for shares and its success has already prompted banks and brokers to line up more global IPOs for UK investors. 

The market may be producing bigger IPO stories but that doesn’t mean retail investors are blindly buying the hype.

Free Thinking - City AM Opinion Newsletter

Get weekly sparky insight and expert commentary on........

© City A.M.