Houlihan has considerable experience at providing valuation opinions for specialized transactions involving initial public offerings, and roll-up acquisition / IPO transactions. In each of these circumstances selling shareholders, broker-dealer market makers, and public investors often require an independent third-party stock valuation to support an initial stock listing price.

The initial public offering (IPO) process is fast-paced and difficult for management teams that are unfamiliar with the process. The market (represented by investors) will ultimately determine if a deal is completed or not, and at what price. However, an insightful, current business valuation provides company management and its shareholders an excellent foundation for IPO pricing negotiations with underwriters.

Roll-up acquisition companies combined with an offering of equity or debt require a more specialized valuation. In this case, the valuation of the newly-combined company on a go-forward basis is used to determine the percentage of the company's equity that is allocated to various new shareholders. The new shareholders usually include the founding company shareholders (if they take stock consideration instead of cash), company management (for incentive stock or options), the company's promoters or organizers, and any new investors (such as shares issued in a roll-up IPO).