This post was originally produced for Forbes.
“The United States was once had IPO markets that made our stock markets the envy of markets throughout the world,” according to David Weild IV, Chairman and CEO of Weild & Co.
He continues, “With the move to electronic markets beginning in 1998, the small IPO collapsed. The US should be averaging 950 IPOs a year and we muster only 150 IPOs on average since 2000–a number that doesn’t even replace what is lost in an average year. This cost the US economy 10 million jobs.”
Weild, the former vice chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market and an expert on capital formation who worked on many aspects of the 2012 JOBS Act. His concern about where the markets have gone is matched by his enthusiasm for where they could go.
“Of course, the JOBS Act was passed and that helps to drive down costs for corporate issuers. In the meantime, we were the catalysts for the SEC Tick Size Pilot which launches this spring and the current discussions in Congress for ‘Ventur…