IPO Market Will Need More Than Arm's Listing to Bring It Back to Life

  • Successful debut for Arm could be a sign of optimism
  • But economic clouds are seen holding back some would-be IPOs
SoftBank’s Semiconductor Unit Arm Files for IPO

Arm Holdings Ltd.’s highly anticipated IPO has sparked hopes that the moribund market for new listings will spring back to life. Not so fast, says a cohort of Wall Street pros.

All the problems that have waylaid the market for initial public offerings over the past 18 months — from an aggressive Federal Reserve to the threat of a global recession — remain in place, they say. Arm is different than other IPO wannabes that would raise a fraction that its reportedly seeking. For one, it’s massive in comparison, with $2.68 billion in sales and $524 million in net income last year. More importantly, it toils in the white-hot market for artificial intelligence.