What the IPO slump means for America's entrepreneurs

Fewer companies have been going public in recent years. Is America running out of innovative ideas?

The New York Stock Exchange.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

The number of companies going public has been in a steady downward spiral. Last year, Fortune reported that the number of companies making the move had declined by a whopping 65 percent since 2014, while CNBC declared that "there are fewer listed companies in the United States today than there were in 1976." Sounds dire. But does this mean business growth in America overall is circling the drain? Are America's entrepreneurs running out of business ideas? Are small companies struggling to find customers?

Take a deep breath. The initial public offering (IPO) slump isn't necessarily a harbinger of bad news — for the economy or for business owners.

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Rachel Weingarten

Rachel Weingarten is a marketing strategist, trend analyst, and prolific writer who covers business, style, and the business of style. She's the award-winning author of three non-fiction books, a former celebrity makeup artist, a sought-after speaker, and sometimes professor. Rachel created and acted as on on-air talent for a show about female entrepreneurs on CNN Money and has appeared as an expert on MSNBC, the Today Show, and Good Morning America, among others. She has written extensively or been quoted in the AP, ABC News, Parade, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and many more. Rachel recently launched The Evolved Foodie.