SEC wants to lock-up 'cornerstone investors' in IPOs to prevent rugpulls
The SEC released a draft memorandum for comment last week [link] which looks to regulate how “cornerstone investors” may participate in IPOs going forward. According to the SEC, a cornerstone investor receives IPO offer shares “with a guaranteed allocation at the final offer price”. The SEC notes that cornerstone investors “stimulate investor demand in an IPO”, and can “lend credibility”, “boost confidence”, and “deliver a positive signal to the market.” That said, the SEC is looking to: (1) regulate the information that a potential cornerstone investor might receive about an IPO to make sure that they are not provided with “any material information beyond that [in the prospectus]”, (2) require disclosure of cornerstone investors in any IPO prospectus, (3) require cornerstone investors pay the same price as retail, and (4) submit cornerstone investor shares to a 30-day lock-up from the IPO.
