Was 2023 a bad year for IPOs?

<p>When private companies around the world want to raise cash, they can do so by starting a process to list on a stock exchange. This is known as an IPO, or initial public offering. </p><p>Analysts watch such public listings to gauge the health of an economy. </p><p>In 2021, IPOs were booming, but in 2023 there's been a big drop in activity - with a record low number of companies choosing to offer their shares publicly on stock exchanges in the US, UK and Europe. </p><p>What's going on, and why does it matter when IPOs don't do well?</p><p>(Picture: The hand of a man holding a phone, monitoring trading data on his phone, tablet, and computer. Credit: Getty Images)</p><p>Produced and presented by Frey Lindsay</p>