By Rachel Bradley
Analyst, Gradient Analytics LLC

“Trust but verify.” – Ronald Reagan

Before launching an initial public offering ("IPO"), a company must submit extensive disclosures to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) on Form S-1; however, the data listed therein does not include a complete history of financial results while the firm was private. In fact, as a result of the JOBS Act emerging growth companies may now elect to include fewer years of financial history than was previously required.

In an attempt to provide a more comprehensive view of recent IPOs, our analysts perform a deep-dive review of the firm’s prospectus and accounting practices, and compare the firm’s financial data to its close peers to gain a better grasp of the quality and sustainability of its reported earnings.    Read more