Europe: Just wait 'til 2002

2Q Financial Markets Review

It is notoriously difficult to predict the course of the financial markets, but with half the year over, European market watchers polled by BioCentury last December are proving remarkably accurate: 2001 is on track to be the second best financing year ever for Europe, with particular strength in venture rounds. But the IPO market is remarkably weak - in fact the weakest since 1995. If the prognosticators continue to be correct, most of the 20-plus companies hoping to go public this year will have to wait. ...