Venture-Backed Shares Surge with Bull Market –

The rebound in the overall market has been great news for venture capitalists who were lucky enough to take portfolio companies public in the past year. Of the nine venture-backed companies that went public between July of last year and June of this year, six (or 66.7%) were trading at or above their IPO prices.

Three companies showed price increases of more than 100% or greater. Dick’s Clothing and Sporting Goods held the top spot in the aftermarket index, with a 205.7% increase in its share price. Accredited Home Lenders followed with a 140.1% increase, while VistaCare rounded out the top three with an increase of 102.5%.

Of the 10 industry sectors tracked by Thomson Venture Economics, four experienced positive overall price movements. Notably, the Other Products sector and the Medical/Health sector posted average price increases of 95% and 72%, respectively.

For a detailed look at the performance of venture-backed issues in the first half of the year, see “Will Digital Theater’s IPO Lead a Recovery in the Second-Half?,” page 8.