StubHub is making a return to the public markets with its planned initial public offering (IPO), which comes after a prior attempt was delayed earlier this year amid market volatility triggered by significant tariff announcements from then-President Donald Trump. The online ticketing reseller aims to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “STUB” and plans to offer more than 34 million shares priced between $22 and $25. If the IPO manages to secure the upper end of this range, it could raise a total of $850 million.
In its Form S-1 submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), StubHub projected that, following the IPO and the full exercise of any overallotment options, it would have close to 373 million shares outstanding. This figure translates to a market capitalization exceeding $9.3 billion at the higher end of the pricing range. The company follows in the footsteps of other firms like Klarna, which have also sought to revive IPO plans that were previously shelved due to unfavorable market conditions.
The resurgent IPO market has primarily been characterized by tech and cryptocurrency companies. Recent performances have shown a significant uptick, with companies like Figma seeing their shares more than triple during their debut, and Bullish, a crypto exchange, similarly experiencing soaring stock prices.
Despite these promising market indicators, StubHub is facing its own financial challenges. The company reported a net loss of $76 million for the first half of 2025 on revenues of $872.9 million, contrasting with a $24 million loss on $803.5 million in revenue for the same period the previous year. Competition remains fierce, particularly against industry giant Ticketmaster, which holds a market capitalization near $38 billion.
Founded in 2000 by Erik Baker and Jeff Fluhr, StubHub was acquired by eBay in 2007 and sold back to Baker in 2019. As it moves toward this IPO, StubHub acknowledges intense competition as one of its critical risk factors, hinting at the challenges it faces in carving out its market share amid established players.
In other market news, shares of QuantumScape surged approximately 20% after the company demonstrated its solid-state lithium-metal batteries in collaboration with Volkswagen at a promotional event. This momentum added to an already impressive 80% gain in QuantumScape’s stock since the beginning of the year, despite fluctuations earlier in the summer.
Markets also reacted to increasing expectations of interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, with traders projecting a complete likelihood of a quarter-point cut in the coming policy meeting—a notable increase from previous predictions. Moreover, a recently announced pivot by Forward Industries to become a cryptocurrency treasury significantly boosted its stock, while EchoStar shares soared following a major spectrum sale to SpaceX.
The S&P 500 index is preparing for minor adjustments, with Robinhood and AppLovin set to join the index later this month, further enhancing their visibility among potential investors. As the IPO landscape evolves, companies like StubHub will be critical in determining whether the current boom can extend beyond tech-centered listings.
