By Benjamin Pimentel
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Eleven firms, including the social-gaming start-up Zynga, are expected to launch as publicly traded companies next week, in potentially the busiest IPO week in four years.
Zynga leads the pack as the latest in a wave of social-media initial public offerings. Also drawing attention is Jive Software, a social business-software-platform company, and Michael Kors Holdings, the luxury fashion company.
If all firms push ahead with their IPOs, it would make next week the busiest since November 2007, when 13 companies made their public trading debuts in a single week, according to Scott Sweet, senior managing partner at IPO Boutique.
Sweet noted that next Thursday will be particularly crowded, with six deals expected to launch.
"That's going to make it very difficult for all six to get equal eyeballs," Sweet said. "Only the best will get attention, as it always should be. When you have six in a day, that's really heavy."
He allowed that market uncertainty may still lead to changes in the schedule. Three deals were scheduled to debut this Thursday but were pulled, the companies citing market conditions. Still, Sweet said, "I expect it to be a very active week."
Zynga's position among those on deck is a key reason. The San Francisco-based tech company, which is offering 100 million shares at a price range of $8.50 to $10, is set to raise as much as $1 billion. That would make Zynga's offering the biggest Internet IPO since Google Inc.'s (GOOG, Trade ) launch in 2004, according to Renaissance Capital.
In a sign of the growing prominence of social-media IPOs, Jive Software also is expected to enjoy a strong debut. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company makes software to help businesses set up their own social networks. It had total revenue of $54.8 million for the nine-month period ended Sept. 30 -- up 73% from the same period last year. Net losses totaled $38.1 million for the recent nine-month period.
Jive is offering 11.7 million shares at a price range of $8 to $10. The stock is expected to begin trading Tuesday.
Other firms in Internet and social-media segments have already made their debuts this year. LinkedIn (LNKD, Trade ) made its IPO in May, while Groupon (GRPN, Trade ) and Angie's List (ANGI, Trade ) debuted last month.
Another relatively high-profile IPO for next week is that of Michael Kors Holdings, the fashion design company, which is offering 41.7 million shares at a range of $17 to $19.
Other companies expected to go public are five oil or energy companies: Bonanza Creek Energy, Sanchez Energy Corp., Mid-Con Energy Partners, Inergy Midstream and Laredo Petroleum.
Also going public are Luxfer Holdings, a materials technology company; FusionStorm Global, which offers information technology hardware, software and services to businesses; and GSE Holding, a maker of containment products in mining, waste management and environmental protection.
