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Can Robinhood thread the needle for a winning IPO?

Trading app is walking a tightrope between keeping retail investors and institutions happy as it prepares to float

Initial public offerings can be a little bit like politics: a decent outcome may be when everyone is only a little bit unhappy. The question is whether even that will be achievable for Robinhood Markets.

This week the app-first broker is on track to complete its long-awaited IPO, and it has said it might set aside as much as 35% of the offering for its customers. That is a historically large amount, and these kinds of debuts have long been sought after — but for conflicting reasons. Small investors believe they should be able to enjoy the same IPO “pop” on discounted offering shares that institutions and wealthy individuals get, while many companies believe they should be able to sell their shares as widely as possible in order to get the highest price possible.

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