How Much Does a Bank Teller Make an Hour on Average?

Bank tellers are the face of local bank branches. When you visit a bank in person, tellers welcome you in with a smile and help you with your transaction — whether you’re depositing a check or withdrawing cash from your savings account.

What are the job responsibilities like, and how much does a bank teller make an hour? Our in-depth guide to bank teller salaries and skills will help you determine if it’s the right career for you.

What Does a Bank Teller Do?

A bank teller’s job is to help customers complete financial transactions with their bank accounts. Tellers work in person at bank branches and can help with things like opening and closing accounts, and depositing and withdrawing funds.


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Bank Teller Job Responsibility Examples

What might a bank teller do in their day-to-day? Here are a few examples:

•   Greet customers as they enter the bank or credit union

•   Complete transactions through the bank drive-through

•   Help customers open a new checking or savings account

•   Answer calls and emails to offer customer service

•   Prepare money orders, savings bonds, and traveler’s checks for customers

•   Record transactions throughout their shift

•   Count the cash in their drawers at the beginning and end of a shift

•   Explain the various financial products offered by the bank

Bank Teller Skills

Here are some of the skills you’ll need to be a successful bank teller:

•   Positive attitude

•   Patience

•   Customer service

•   Clear communication

•   Math and money management

•   Sales

•   Technology

•   Willingness to learn

How Much Do Starting Bank Tellers Make?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the average hourly wage for a bank teller is $17.69, but those just starting out should expect to make less. According to Indeed, bank tellers with less than a year of experience make $15.89 an hour on average, but that varies by location.

What Is the Average Salary for a Bank Teller?

The average salary for a bank teller is $36,800, but this varies by level of experience and by location. For instance, the BLS breaks down mean bank teller salaries by state:

•   How much does a bank teller make in California? $42,120 a year

•   How much does a bank teller make in Texas? $33,820 a year

•   How much does a bank teller make in Florida? $37,920 a year

Bank tellers earn the highest average annual salary in Washington state ($43,500) and the lowest average annual salary in West Virginia ($29,600). Check out the table below for insight into how much bank tellers make a year, or switch gears and research the highest paying jobs by state.

State

Average Bank Teller Salary

Washington $43,500
California $42,120
Connecticut $41,850
Massachusetts $41,390
Rhode Island $41,160
New York $40,930
Colorado $40,450
Alaska $39,590
New Jersey $39,500
Maryland $39,500
Delaware $39,180
Nevada $38,910
Arizona $38,640
Oregon $38,580
Hawaii $37,970
Florida $37,920
Vermont $37,840
North Carolina $37,730
North Dakota $37,670
Illinois $37,630
Minnesota $37,400
Virginia $37,330
Wisconsin $36,600
New Hampshire $36,500
Michigan $36,450
Maine $36,310
Ohio $36,070
Idaho $35,960
South Carolina $35,460
Indiana $35,170
Pennsylvania $35,010
Utah $34,820
Nebraska $34,620
Georgia $34,600
Montana $34,530
Iowa $34,200
South Dakota $33,990
Texas $33,820
Tennessee $33,820
New Mexico $33,660
Wyoming $33,500
Alabama $33,260
Louisiana $33,230
Kansas $33,190
Kentucky $32,300
Missouri $31,730
Arkansas $31,420
Oklahoma $30,680
Mississippi $30,670
West Virginia $29,600
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2022 data



💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.

Pros and Cons of a Bank Teller Salary

A job as a bank teller has some pros, but there are a number of cons, like a low salary, to consider:

Pros

•   Career growth: The average hourly rate of a bank teller may not be as competitive as other entry-level salaries, but there’s plenty of room for advancement as a bank teller. Some tellers move up to head teller positions. Others move on to supervisory positions, become loan officers, or transition to sales.

•   Benefits: Although employees may not earn super competitive pay, bank tellers who work full-time can enjoy nice benefits from the bank, including health care, retirement plans, and paid time off.

•   Regular schedule: Many entry-level jobs, as in retail and restaurants, have unpredictable hours. Banks operate under normal business hours and are closed on Sundays (and bank holidays!). That means you’ll enjoy a more consistent schedule as a bank teller.

Recommended: Should We Raise the Minimum Wage?

Cons

•   Salary: While bank tellers can make good money — the top 10% make an average of $46,350 — the overall average falls below what the typical person with a high school diploma makes in a year in the U.S. Here are some of the best jobs without a college degree.

•   Job outlook: The BLS is predicting a 12% decline in job opportunities from 2021 to 2023. As more financial institutions switch to predominantly online banking experiences and shut down branches, job insecurity for bank tellers could be further undermined.

•   Draining job: Bank tellers must deliver an excellent customer experience every day. When customers are dealing with finances, it’s easy for them to become frustrated or upset — which can be draining for bank tellers who are trying to help. To be clear, this is not a job for antisocial people!

Recommended: What Trade Job Pays the Most Money?

The Takeaway

Bank tellers can make decent money, though there may be other jobs that require the same level of experience and education but pay more. However, hard-working bank tellers can often move up within the company and command better salaries.

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FAQ

Which bank pays the most for tellers?

According to data from Indeed, the financial institutions that pay the most for tellers include Bank of America, Logix Federal Credit Union, Avadian Credit Union, Investors Bank, and Chase.

What is the highest teller salary?

The top 10% highest paid bank tellers make an average annual salary of $46,350 — that’s $22.29 an hour. Bank tellers in Washington state, California, and Connecticut are the highest paid, on average.

Is it hard to be hired as a bank teller?

Because of the rise in online banking, it’s becoming more challenging to be hired as a bank teller. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that bank teller employment will decline 12% between 2021 and 2031.

That said, you don’t need a college degree to become a teller, and training is all on the job. This makes breaking into the career field easier for those without a secondary or vocational education.


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How Much Does a Construction Worker Make a Year?

The average salary for a construction worker in 2022 was $46,350, or $22.29 per hour. Construction workers are a crucial part of the labor force across the country, and the industry is expected to grow through the end of the decade. Without a formal education requirement, construction work can be a viable option for anyone uninterested in getting a college degree right after high school.

That said, construction labor can be grueling. The job is physically demanding and at times dangerous. You’ll need to consider your physical limitations before pursuing a career in construction work.

Knowing what your income will look like may be the most important consideration of all. We’ll break down the average construction worker starting salary, as well as their typical responsibilities and required skills, below.

What Do Construction Workers Do?

Construction crews work on building sites for new homes, multi-family units, commercial buildings, roads, and bridges. Following detailed plans, construction workers are responsible for taking apart old structures and erecting new ones.

Depending on the job site, construction workers may operate heavy machinery, use hand tools, and perform plumbing and electrical tasks.

Construction work requires significant strength, endurance, and tolerance for extreme temperatures. The industry also has one of the highest rates of injuries on the job, so construction laborers must be familiar with safety protocols.


💡 Quick Tip: When you have questions about what you can and can’t afford, a spending tracker app can show you the answer. With no guilt trip or hourly fee.

Construction Worker Job Responsibility Examples

What kinds of things might you be responsible for as a construction worker on a job site? Here are some examples:

•   Removing debris

•   Loading and unloading materials

•   Assembling bracing, scaffolding, and other temporary structures to help with the construction

•   Operating heavy machinery and using hand tools when building and taking apart structures

•   Digging trenches, compacting earth, and backfilling holes

•   Directing traffic

•   Driving work trucks (may require a CDL, or commercial drivers license)

•   Measuring and cutting materials

•   Conducting minor plumbing, electrical, and carpentry work

Construction Worker Skills

Though you don’t need a secondary education to be a construction worker, you’ll need to learn specific skills. You might learn some of these on the job:

•   Ability to use tools and operate machinery

•   Plumbing, electrical, carpentry, masonry, concrete, roofing, drywall, and/or demolition know-how

•   Knowledge of various safety protocols

•   Basic math and measurement

•   Hand-eye coordination

•   Physical strength and energy

In addition, construction workers must be able to problem-solve on the fly and must embrace teamwork. This is not a job for introverts!

How Much Do Starting Construction Workers Make?

Construction worker entry-level salaries vary by state, but you can expect pay to be on the lower end when just starting out. The bottom 10% of earners in the industry bring home about $29,700 per year.

If you’re entering the construction industry with a degree, you will likely make more starting out. With an education, you might go straight into construction management. The bottom 10% of construction managers earn $62,210 a year. The average annual salary is $112,790.

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Recommended: Is $100,000 a Good Salary?

What Is the Average Salary for a Construction Worker?

The average salary for a construction worker in 2022 was $46,350, but rates vary significantly across the country. The average hourly rate for a construction worker is $22.29 per hour. Total income is about the same whether you get a salary vs. hourly pay.

As you’d expect, areas with a higher cost of living (think California, New York, and Hawaii) generally have more competitive pay than areas with a lower cost of living (states like Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas).

How much do construction workers make in California? $56,210, on average. In New York, the mean salary is even higher, at $59,280 a year. But it’s Hawaii where construction workers make the most money on average: $66,650.

Check out the following table for additional state insights:

State

Average Construction Worker Salary

Hawaii $66,650
Illinois $65,590
New Jersey $65,590
Massachusetts $64,940
New York $59,280
Washington $56,630
California $56,210
Minnesota $54,150
Rhode Island $53,820
Alaska $53,270
Connecticut $53,050
Missouri $52,150
Ohio $51,200
Pennsylvania $50,150
Oregon $49,250
Wisconsin $48,540
Indiana $47,850
Nevada $47,550
Montana $46,500
North Dakota $46,480
Michigan $46,020
Iowa $44,740
Vermont $43,680
New Hampshire $43,260
Maryland $43,120
Arizona $43,060
Delaware $42,950
Colorado $42,870
Utah $42,460
Kentucky $42,310
Nebraska $41,040
Maine $40,760
West Virginia $40,700
Wyoming $40,450
Idaho $39,950
Louisiana $39,500
Kansas $39,400
Oklahoma $39,120
Tennessee $38,590
South Carolina $38,200
Florida $37,690
Texas $37,600
Virginia $37,590
Georgia $37,270
New Mexico $37,170
South Dakota $37,050
North Carolina $36,760
Arkansas $35,150
Mississippi $34,240
Alabama $33,140
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2022 data



💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.

Pros and Cons of Construction Worker Salary

Being a construction worker has some advantages, but there are also drawbacks to consider:

Pros

•   Higher than average salary: The average salary for someone without a college degree is just over $37,000. Construction workers earn more than $9,000 a year over that, without any formal education — and without any student loan debt.

•   Job growth: The job market is projected to grow by 4% from 2021 to 2031, meaning there should be ample opportunities available.

•   Flexibility: Construction jobs are available across the country. If you want to relocate somewhere else, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a job.

Recommended: Should We Raise the Minimum Wage?

Cons

•   Difficult work: Construction labor can be physically demanding. It may lead to injury and illness, and you can leave job sites tired and sore each day.

•   Less money: Construction workers make significantly less money than construction managers. If you’re able to get a bachelor’s degree in construction management, you may earn more money over your lifetime.

•   Long-term career options: As you age, you may become less equipped to keep up with the physical demands of the job. This could force an early retirement, right when you should be in your earning prime. You may instead need to look for a work-from-home job for retirees to ensure you have enough income until you’re eligible for Social Security benefits and other retirement income.

The Takeaway

Construction workers can make decent money over the course of their careers, and you won’t have to take out a student loan to get a degree to land a job. However, the work can be exhausting and lead to injury. Weigh all the pros and cons carefully before starting a career as a construction worker.

See exactly how your money comes and goes at a glance.

FAQ

How much do most construction workers make?

How much money a construction worker makes depends on where they live and their level of experience. However, the average construction laborer brings in $46,350 a year.

Who is the highest paid construction worker?

Hawaii has the highest paid construction workers, with an average salary of $66,650. However, the top 10% of construction workers in New Jersey outpace the earnings of the top 10% in Hawaii, bringing home $101,360 a year. Across the country, the top 10% highest paid construction workers average an annual salary of $72,430.

What job pays the best in construction?

Pipeline transportation of natural gas is the highest paying job in construction, with laborers earning $81,670 a year on average. Other high-paying construction jobs include electric power generation, transmission, and distribution; construction support services; construction work for medical and surgical hospitals; and rail transport construction.


Photo credit: iStock/damircudic

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*Terms and conditions apply. This offer is only available to new SoFi users without existing SoFi accounts. It is non-transferable. One offer per person. To receive the rewards points offer, you must successfully complete setting up Credit Score Monitoring. Rewards points may only be redeemed towards active SoFi accounts, such as your SoFi Checking or Savings account, subject to program terms that may be found here: SoFi Member Rewards Terms and Conditions. SoFi reserves the right to modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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IPO Book Building Process Explained

IPO Book-Building Process Explained

Initial public offering (IPO) book building can help with efficient price discovery for companies looking to IPO. After the IPO, when shares are available for trading in the secondary market, book building may also be used to price secondary equity offerings.

With book building, the investment bank that underwrites an IPO reaches out to institutional investors to gauge their interest in buying shares of a company looking to go public. The underwriter asks those interested to submit bids detailing the number of shares they seek to own and at what price they would be willing to pay.

The process of book building has become more common than the fixed-pricing method, which may not yield the most accurate results.

Recommended: Why Do Companies Go Public?

Key Points

•   Book building is the preferred method by which a company prices IPO shares.

•   There are five key steps in the IPO book building process: find a banker, collect bids, determine a price, disclose details, and allotment.

•   Partial book building is restricted to institutional investors, while accelerated book building is used for large equity offerings to raise capital in a short period.

•   The risk of an IPO being underpriced or overpriced when shares go public can lead to volatility, making IPO investing a high-risk endeavor.

•   The goal of book building is to make sure proper market-based price discovery to help the issuing company set a fair share price.

What Is Book Building?

Book building is the preferred method by which a company prices IPO shares.

Among the first steps of the IPO process is for the private company to hire an investment bank to lead the underwriting effort. IPO book building happens when the IPO underwriter gathers interest from institutional investors, such as fund managers and other large investors, to determine the value of the private company’s shares.

As part of the IPO and book-building process, the investment bank must promote the company and the offering to stir up interest before they can determine share price.

This is often called an IPO roadshow. If the underwriter finds that there is sufficient interest based on responses from the investor community, then the bank will determine an offering price to the issuer.

Book building is recommended by all the major stock exchanges, and is common practice in most developed countries. It has become more popular than the fixed-pricing method, which involves setting an IPO price before measuring investor interest. Book building, on the other hand, generates and records investor interest to land on an IPO price.

Thus book building helps find a fair share price for a private company based on market interest. When a bank gauges market interest, a floor price is sometimes used, and bids arrive at or above that floor price. The stock price is determined after the bid closing date. With the book building method, demand can be seen in real-time as the book is being built.


💡 Quick Tip: IPO stocks can get a lot of media hype. But savvy investors know that where there’s buzz there can also be higher-than-warranted valuations. IPO shares might spike or plunge (or both), so investing in IPOs may not be suitable for investors with short time horizons.

[ipo_launch]

Book-Building Process

Firms going public want to sell their stock at the highest possible price without deterring the investment community. There are five key steps the issuing company must perform in the process of IPO book building in order to discover a market-based share price.

1.    Find a Banker: The issuing company hires an investment bank to underwrite the transaction. The underwriter advises the company, guiding it through the lengthy book-building process. The investment bank also commits to buying all the shares from the issuer, carrying all the risk. The bank will then resell the shares to investors.

2.    Collect Bids: The investment bank invites investors to submit bids on the number of shares they are interested in and at what price. This solicitation and the preliminary bids give the bankers and the company’s management an indication of the market’s interest for the shares. Roadshows are often used to grow investor appetite.

3.    Determine a Price: The book is built by aggregating demand as the bids arrive. The bank uses a weighted average to determine a final cutoff price based on indications of interest. This step helps with pricing an IPO.

4.    Disclosure: The underwriter must disclose details of the bids to the public.

5.    Allotment: Accepted bidders are allotted shares.

Even if the IPO book-building process goes smoothly and a price is set, it does not ensure that actual transactions will take place at that price once the IPO is open to buyers. Book building simply helps to gauge demand and determines a fair market-based price. But substantial risks remain for interested investors, who could see steep losses if the share price drops after the IPO.


💡 Quick Tip: Look for an online brokerage with low trading commissions as well as no account minimum. Higher fees can cut into investment returns over time.

What Is Partial Book Building?

Partial book building is another form of the IPO book-building process that happens only at the institutional level, rather than the retail level.

With partial book building, a select group of investors is approached regarding their interest in the IPO. Using their bids, a weighted average price is calculated and a cutoff price is determined. That cutoff price is then used as the public offering price to retail investors as a fixed price. The cost of the partial book-building IPO process is often lower due to its relative efficiency.

What Is Accelerated Book Building?

Accelerated book building is used for large equity offerings to raise capital in a short period of time. The investment bank is tasked with book building, determining a cutoff price, and allocating shares within 48 hours or less. No roadshow is involved.

The accelerated book-building process is used when a company needs immediate financing and raising capital from debt is off the table. It is typically done when a firm seeks to acquire another company.

Accelerated book building is often conducted overnight, with the issuing company asking investment banks to serve as underwriters before the next day’s placement.

What Effect Does Book Building Have On IPO Prices?

A good IPO book-building process helps ensure proper market-based price discovery. Still, there is the risk that an IPO can be underpriced or overpriced when shares finally go public. This can lead to volatility, which IPO investors also need to be aware of. This is one reason why IPOs are considered high-risk endeavors.

Underpricing, the main risk to the issuer, happens when the offering price is materially below the share price on the first day of trading. With an underpriced IPO, a company is said to have left money on the table, while an overpriced IPO can have negative implications on the future price of a stock due to poor investor sentiment. Investors can buy IPO stock on Day One of trading in the secondary market, while qualified investors can purchase IPO shares before they begin trading in the open market.

While there is no surefire way to guarantee a good IPO price, the book-building IPO method offers quality pre-market price discovery customized to the issuer. It also reduces the risk for the underwriter. It can have high costs, however, and there is the risk that the IPO will end up being underpriced. The overall goal is to see a good and steady stock performance during and after the IPO.

The Takeaway

The book-building IPO process involves critical steps to ensure a stock goes public promptly with as few hiccups as possible.

There are different types of IPO book building, and the way an investment bank performs the process can impact IPO prices. The goal is for efficient price discovery on shares of the company looking to go public. Book building can also be used for secondary equity offerings.

Whether you’re curious about exploring IPOs, or interested in traditional stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), you can get started by opening an account on the SoFi Invest® brokerage platform. On SoFi Invest, eligible SoFi members have the opportunity to trade IPO shares, and there are no account minimums for those with an Active Investing account. As with any investment, it's wise to consider your overall portfolio goals in order to assess whether IPO investing is right for you, given the risks of volatility and loss.

Invest with as little as $5 with a SoFi Active Investing account.

FAQ

What are the steps in book building?

There are 5 main steps in the book-building IPO process:

1.    The issuing company hires an investment bank to underwrite the offering. The bank determines a share price value range and writes a prospectus to send to potential institutional investors.

2.    The underwriting bank invites institutional investors to submit bids on how many shares they want to buy and at what price.

3.    The book is built by sorting and summing demand for the shares to calculate a final IPO price. It’s known as the cutoff price.

4.    The investment bank is required to disclose the details of submitted bids to the public.

5.    Shares are allocated to accepted bidders.

What is 100% book building?

100% book building is a process in which 100% of the offering is done on a firm basis or is reserved for promoters and permanent employees of the issuing company.


Photo credit: iStock/PeopleImages

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Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Investing in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement. IPOs offered through SoFi Securities are not a recommendation and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For SoFi’s allocation procedures please refer to IPO Allocation Procedures.


Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Ultimate Guide to Hot Issue IPOs

Hot Issues (IPOs): What You Need to Know

A hot issue IPO refers to an initial public offering (IPO) that has generated large-scale public interest. A hot issue is usually accompanied by high volatility, investor excitement, and price run-ups on the first few days of trading.

Hot issues are often talked about in the media for weeks, if not months, in advance of the actual IPO. The resulting excitement attracts all types of investors, ranging from long-term investors, who believe in the potential of the firm, to short-term speculators who want to flip the shares for quick profits.

This can easily lead to wide swings in value that can result in big gains for some and substantial losses for unsuspecting investors.

Key Points

•   A hot issue IPO is an initial public offering that’s generated large-scale public interest.

•   High volatility, investor excitement, and price run-ups usually accompany hot issues on the first few days of trading.

•   A hot issue starts like an ordinary IPO, with the company filing a form S-1 with the SEC and holding an investor roadshow.

•   High trading volume on hot issues can result in extreme volatility and an initial spike in prices.

•   Investors should be careful when considering hot issues and wait for the volatility to subside before investing.

What Is a Hot Issue?

A hot issue is any IPO that generates high demand among investors. Hot issues tend to occur more frequently among hot new tech companies, during economic expansions, when investors are on the prowl for the next “disruptor.”

Investor excitement for hot issue IPOs can be generated during the investor roadshow, or enhanced by media coverage in the months leading up to the IPO date.

Hot issues are characterized by extreme price volatility during the first days of trading. New investors should be cautious when considering hot issues, as large price run-ups may or may not be reflective of the firm’s actual fundamentals. And, as experienced investors know, all the hype in the world still can’t predict the performance of any stock.

💡 Quick Tip: IPO stocks can get a lot of media hype. But savvy investors know that where there’s buzz there can also be higher-than-warranted valuations. IPO shares might spike or plunge (or both), so investing in IPOs may not be suitable for investors with short time horizons.

[ipo_launch]

How a Hot Issue Works

A hot issue starts off like an ordinary IPO, or initial public offering. The company that wishes to initiate an IPO process contracts with an underwriter, or team of underwriters (underwriting syndicate), to take stock of its existing business and market its shares to the public.

The company starts by filing a form S-1, which registers the firm’s new shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is required for all new domestic issuers who wish to offer shares for sale to the public.

The issuing company and its underwriters will then embark on an investor roadshow which usually takes place over several months. During this process, they will meet with and present to various institutional investors across the country.

Roadshows are intended to market the shares and generate additional enthusiasm for buying the IPO stock. These occur well in advance of the actual pricing date and are another opportunity to introduce the firm and its management to the public.

Recommended: What Is an IPO Underwriter?

Pricing Hot Issue Shares

Once the new issue is ready to price, the underwriters will size the issue and price the shares at a level that they think will generate high demand for the shares.

Generally there will be a limited number of shares available to trade for new issues, as the actual number of shares issued will be sized around the new firm’s corporate financing needs — raising capital being the primary reason companies go public.

Limiting the supply of shares can drum up excitement for the stock, however most issuers typically have shares in reserve in case the IPO ends up being significantly oversubscribed.

The IPO underwriters then take pre-orders for the stock and resize/reprice the issue based on the investor interest. Once the shares are sold, they are transferred to institutional investor accounts, based on the allocations made through their order book.

The institutional investors typically turn around and flip the IPO shares on the market for large profits, but in some instances may hold onto the new shares, depending on their needs.


💡 Quick Tip: If you’re opening a brokerage account for the first time, consider starting with an amount of money you’re prepared to lose. Investing always includes the risk of loss, and until you’ve gained some experience, it’s probably wise to start small.

High Trading-Volume Impact

High trading volume on hot issues result in high volatility and often an initial spike in prices during the first few trading days, particularly if the shares were multiple times oversubscribed.

If the share price spikes quickly on the first day and falls off in the following days or weeks, this could signal an artificially low IPO price or high speculator demand.

Due to the initial feeding frenzy around hot issue IPOs, they’re popular targets for speculators who wish to flip shares for a quick profit, often within the same day.

If long-term investors are interested in a particular hot issue, it may be prudent for them to step back and wait for the volatility to subside before initiating their own position, particularly in times of high market volatility.

The Takeaway

While it’s easy to get drawn into the excitement surrounding a hot issue IPO, investors should be careful in the first few days of trading, as initial volatility may lead to large losses.

It sometimes pays to wait a few days, or even weeks, for the initial trading volume to subside and for share prices to settle at stable levels.

Whether you’re curious about exploring IPOs, or interested in traditional stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), you can get started by opening an account on the SoFi Invest® brokerage platform. On SoFi Invest, eligible SoFi members have the opportunity to trade IPO shares, and there are no account minimums for those with an Active Investing account. As with any investment, it's wise to consider your overall portfolio goals in order to assess whether IPO investing is right for you, given the risks of volatility and loss.

Invest with as little as $5 with a SoFi Active Investing account.

FAQ

What is a hot issue stock?

A hot issue stock is a new initial public offering that has garnered widespread attention among the investing public.

Hot issue stocks are typically characterized by being oversubscribed and typically trade at a significant premium above the offering price once shares hit the aftermarket.

What is an issue in an IPO?

An issue in an IPO is when a private firm goes public for the first time via the initial public offering process. This involves offering its shares for sale to the investing public.

What are hot shares?

Hot shares can be any stock that is highly in demand with investors. These usually involve new issue stocks that have run-up in price, but can involve any stock that has seen heavy bullish price action.


Photo credit: iStock/Yasuko Inoue

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Investing in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement. IPOs offered through SoFi Securities are not a recommendation and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For SoFi’s allocation procedures please refer to IPO Allocation Procedures.


Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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IPO Pop & IPO Trends

What Is an IPO Pop?

An IPO pop occurs after a company goes public, when its stock price jumps higher on the first day of trading.

No matter how much preparation they’ve done, company executives and shareholders never really know how a stock will perform once it hits the market through its initial public offering (IPO).

While they of course hope to see some increase in price, a big spike — or IPO pop — could indicate that the underwriters underpriced the IPO.

Key Points

•   An IPO pop occurs when a company’s stock spikes on its first day of trading and may indicate that underwriters didn’t properly price retail investor demand into the IPO price.

•   In 2021, IPOs saw increases of 40% on average on the first trading day, but in the second quarter, companies were pricing below their expected ranges.

•   Direct listings are an alternative to IPOs that may help avoid an IPO pop, but they aren’t as efficient at raising capital.

•   Buying IPO stocks can be profitable, but it’s important to research the company before investing and to consider broad market trends.

•   IPO pops are relatively common, and larger companies tend to have larger pops since they are in high demand.

IPO Pop Defined

An IPO pop occurs when a company’s stock spikes on its first day of trading. An IPO pop may be a sign that underwriters did not properly price retail investor demand into the IPO price.

For instance, if a company prices its shares at $47 in its IPO and the price goes to $48 or $50, that would be considered a normal and positive IPO increase. But if the stock jumped to $60, both the company and its early investors might believe an error occurred in the IPO pricing.

This is one of the reasons that IPO shares are considered highly risky. In many cases, historically, that initial price jump hasn’t lasted, and investors who bought on the way up have taken a hit on the way down.

Recommended: What Is an IPO?

[ipo_launch]

Problems Indicated by an IPO Pop

Many different factors go into pricing an IPO, including revenue, private investment amounts, public and institutional interest in investing. IPO underwriters try to find a share price that institutional investors will buy.

If the public thinks a company’s shares are more valuable than what early investors, underwriters, and executives thought, that means the company could have raised more money, increasing their own profit. Or they could have raised the same amount of money but with less dilution.

Also, when bankers price an IPO too low, that means their customers benefit — while company founders and VCs miss out on more profits.

If the share price soars on the first day, some investors will be happy, but it means the company could have raised more money if they had priced the stock higher from the start. It also means that existing investors could have given up a smaller percentage of their ownership for the same price.


💡 Quick Tip: Before opening an investment account, know your investment objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance. These fundamentals will help keep your strategy on track and with the aim of meeting your goals.

IPO Trends

In the past, some companies have seen significant IPO pops occur on their first trading day. But in many cases the market cooled down after the first quarter, with some high-profile companies seeing declines on their first day.

Take 2021 as an example; in that year there were a record number of IPOs in the market.

In the first quarter of 2021 many companies were pricing their IPOs at the top of their expected range, due to increased demand, an improving economy, and a strong stock market. Even after that, IPOs still saw increases of 40% on average on the first trading day.

But in the second quarter, companies were pricing below their expected ranges and some weren’t even reaching those prices on the first trading day. This made the public less eager to buy into IPOs. This type of volatility is common to IPOs, and another reason why investors should be cautious when investing in them.

There was also a boom in special-purpose acquisition corporations (SPACs), IPOs of shell companies that go public with the sole purpose of acquiring other companies.


💡 Quick Tip: Access to IPO shares before they trade on public exchanges has usually been available only to large institutional investors. That’s changing now, and some brokerages offer pre-listing IPO investing to qualified investors.

Direct Listings

Some companies have turned to direct listings as a way to try to avoid an IPO pop. In a direct listing, the company doesn’t have an IPO, they just list their stock and it starts trading in the market. There is a reference price set by a market maker for the stock in a direct listing, but it isn’t nearly as important as the price of a stock in an IPO. Although this can help avoid an IPO pop, it is not as efficient as an IPO as a means of raising capital.

Setting a price for an IPO is a key part of that fundraising strategy. A newer strategy companies are trying is raising a large amount of private capital just before going public, and then doing a direct listing instead of an IPO. The process gives a valuation to the stock price but in a different way from pricing shares for an IPO.

A third strategy is to direct list, and then do a fundraising round some time after the listing, giving the public a chance to establish the market price for the stock.

Do IPOs Usually Go Up or Down?

Although stocks increase an average of 18.4% on their first day of trading, 31% of IPOs decrease when they start to trade. Calculations of IPO profits show that almost 50% of IPOs decrease from their day-one trading price on their second day of trading. While IPO investing may seem like a great investment opportunity, IPOs remain a risky and unpredictable asset class.

Average IPO First Day Return

IPO pops are relatively common. Sometimes average first day returns increase significantly, such as during the dot-com bubble when the average pop was 60%. Larger companies generally have larger pops, since they are in high demand.

Determining the Right IPOs to Invest In

Buying IPO stocks can be profitable, but it also has risks. Just because a company is well known or there is a lot of publicity around its IPO doesn’t mean the IPO will be profitable. As with any investment, it’s important to research the market and each company before deciding to invest.

It’s also important to be patient and flexible, as individual investors don’t always have the ability to trade IPO shares. Or investors may have access at some point after the actual IPO. In addition, IPO shares can be limited.

If you’re interested in upcoming IPOs, it’s important to keep in mind that IPOs increase in price on the first day but quickly decrease again, and almost a third of IPOs decrease on their first listing day. Popular IPOs are more likely to increase, but they are also crowded with investors, so investors might not see their orders fulfilled.

When investing in IPOs through your brokerage account, it’s important to look at broad market trends in addition to individual company fundamentals. When the market is strong, IPOs tend to perform better. Also, when high-profile companies have unsuccessful IPOs, investors may become more wary about investing in upcoming IPOs.

Each sector has different trends and averages. Generally tech companies have higher first day returns than other types of companies, even though they’re also often unprofitable. Investors still want in on these IPOs because they may have strong future earnings potential.

Historically, some of the most successful tech stocks started out with negative earnings, so low earnings are not a strong indicator of future success or failure.

The Takeaway

As exciting as an IPO pop can be, it’s another example of how hard it is for individual investors to time the market. First, there’s no way to predict if a newly minted stock will have a spike after the IPO. Sometimes there is a pop and then the price plunges. This is one reason why IPOs are considered high-risk events.

Investors who find IPOs compelling may want to assess company fundamentals and other market conditions before investing in IPO stock.

Whether you’re curious about exploring IPOs, or interested in traditional stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), you can get started by opening an account on the SoFi Invest® brokerage platform. On SoFi Invest, eligible SoFi members have the opportunity to trade IPO shares, and there are no account minimums for those with an Active Investing account. As with any investment, it's wise to consider your overall portfolio goals in order to assess whether IPO investing is right for you, given the risks of volatility and loss.

Invest with as little as $5 with a SoFi Active Investing account.


Photo credit: iStock/Olemedia

SoFi Invest®
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Investing in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement. IPOs offered through SoFi Securities are not a recommendation and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For SoFi’s allocation procedures please refer to IPO Allocation Procedures.


Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOIN0623070

Read more
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