• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
Finance

Snapchat Actually Isn’t the Hottest IPO This Year

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 30, 2017, 1:58 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

For all the hype around Snapchat, the so-called hottest IPO of 2017 may have already lost its title to a little-known underdog. That dark horse is a former unicorn software company hoping to be the next Salesforce: MuleSoft.

Snapchat’s parent company Snap (SNAP) had a roaring start in the public markets, surging 44% in its first day of trading in early March to what is now a $25 billion market capitalization. And while the social media company won disapproval from some Wall Street firms and the attention of short-sellers, it still managed to end the first quarter of 2017 up 32.6% since its initial public offering.

That could have made Snap the hottest IPO of 2017 so far, judging by its first day pop alone. And according to Renaissance Capital, Snap would have also been the fourth most lucrative out of the 25 companies that made their public debut in the first quarter of 2017. But MuleSoft (MULE) has actually beaten Snap to the crown on both fronts.

MuleSoft helps companies tie their disparate technologies and data sources together, and counts Coca-Cola, StubHub, and Citrix among its clients. Like Snap, MuleSoft debuted on the New York Stock Exchange, but 15 days later. And again like Snap, MuleSoft also priced its shares at $17, above its anticipated $14-16 range. But that’s where the story diverges. Not only did investors send the stock up higher than Snap on its first day of trading — it jumped 45.6% that day — it has also brought investors higher returns than Snap since each of the companies’ respective IPOs, according to Renaissance Capital. MuleSoft shares have risen 40% since the IPO, about 7.4 percentage points higher than Snap’s rise since it went public.

MuleSoft has enjoyed a steeper rise partly because it has a much smaller number of shares available for trading on the open markets. While Snap’s stock price, $22 a share as of Thursday afternoon, is determined by the daily movement of some 245.3 million shares available for trading, MuleSoft’s price, $23 as of Thursday afternoon, fluctuates based on only 13 million shares available. That’s makes MuleSoft’s stock price much more reactive to buying and selling, and theoretically more volatile.

But another main measure of how “hot” an IPO is gives Snap the clear advantage. While Snapchat grew to a giant $25 billion market capitalization after its IPO, making the company a large-cap stock, MuleSoft grew to just $3.1 billion, leaving it at the lower end of the mid-cap spectrum.

And at least from a a price-to-sales perspective, with neither company reporting a profit in 2016, MuleSoft is a whole lot cheaper and less in demand. Based on MuleSoft’s 2016 revenue and current market capitalization, investors are in theory willing to pay some $16 per dollar of revenue. Snap’s investors, by contrast, have crowded into the stock so much that they are willing to spend $62 per dollar of revenue.

But if we’re just judging an IPO’s “hotness” by its returns in the first quarter, that honor goes to biotech company AnapytsBio, with a market cap of about $595 million as of Thursday afternoon. That stock has surged 89.5% in the first quarter since its IPO on Jan. 25.

About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

a
EconomyU.S. economy
America’s entrepreneurial boom begins long before venture capital
By Anthony HernandezJuly 5, 2026
3 hours ago
Russia’s fuel crisis is so bad that a mom and her baby waited in line for 18 hours to get gas — ‘Are we in the Soviet Union?’
EnergyRussia
Russia’s fuel crisis is so bad that a mom and her baby waited in line for 18 hours to get gas — ‘Are we in the Soviet Union?’
By Jason MaJuly 4, 2026
13 hours ago
U.S. debt is a looming crisis today but was once its own revolutionary masterstroke that helped launch a global financial superpower
EconomyDebt
U.S. debt is a looming crisis today but was once its own revolutionary masterstroke that helped launch a global financial superpower
By Jason MaJuly 4, 2026
16 hours ago
Trump Accounts are now available for kids. Here’s where the money will be invested in the stock market—in line with Warren Buffett’s advice
InvestingStock
Trump Accounts are now available for kids. Here’s where the money will be invested in the stock market—in line with Warren Buffett’s advice
By Jason MaJuly 4, 2026
18 hours ago
Iran’s envoy to China says Beijing to get Hormuz concessions
EnergyOil
Iran’s envoy to China says Beijing to get Hormuz concessions
By BloombergJuly 4, 2026
20 hours ago
Ukrainian drones target more Russian oil infrastructure as fuel crisis adds political pressure on Putin, who shrugs off attacks as ‘not critical’
EnergyUkraine invasion
Ukrainian drones target more Russian oil infrastructure as fuel crisis adds political pressure on Putin, who shrugs off attacks as ‘not critical’
By The Associated PressJuly 4, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
1 day ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
Three dads started selling hats from a garage with $750—now they’ve sold $35 million worth, partnered with Gary Vee, and grown a community of fathers
Success
Three dads started selling hats from a garage with $750—now they’ve sold $35 million worth, partnered with Gary Vee, and grown a community of fathers
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.