Operating performance of SMEs in Thailand after going public

Abstract This study investigates the operating performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand, in terms of efficiency and profitability, after issuing initial public offering (IPO) in comparison to their pre-IPO performance. A cross-sectional analysis is also applied to examine the impact of ownership retention and underpricing on operating performance using different measurements. Studies in most developed countries identify a deterioration in post-IPO operating performance; however, few studies have been conducted in emerging markets, especially on SMEs performance after IPO issuance for fund raising. The results of 82 Thai SMEs listed in the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) during 2001-2014 show the decline of the operating performance for post-IPO issuance compared to a year prior IPO whic99h are consistent with the “window dressing” and “market timing” concepts. SMEs improve their revenue significantly after going public even though their growth is lower than the assets’ growth rate. The original ownership retention has no significant impact on the operating performances in different measurements which are inconsistent with previous studies. The original owners of SMEs maintain relatively high managerial ownership after going public thus there is less agency cost problem. Underpricing has a negative impact on the changes in sales for post-IPO relative to pre-IPO, reflecting that the expectations of investors toward companies’ revenues are different from reality. The findings benefit company owners and management in the area of performance sustainability, and regulators in terms of auditing companies’ performances prior to going public.