Mr. Greiner: It's clearly difficult, there are fewer transactions, very little equity capital markets activity and essentially no IPOs bar the CLP TRUenergy IPO, which has enlisted Rothschild as financial adviser.

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It has no credibility and no international appeal for IPOs.

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There have been no marketing "roadshows" for IPOs in recent weeks, so the earliest a deal could be priced would likely be in the second half of June.

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So it is perhaps no surprise that one of best performing IPOs of 2010 was Molycorp ( NYSE: MCP), the company that is resuscitating the once dominant Mountain Pass, CA, rare earth mines.

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These unaccredited types with no big broker affiliations can sign up for upcoming IPOs without prejudice or favoritism at www.

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Hong Kong Exchanges fell to fourth in the world last year for IPOs and new listings after claiming the No. 1 spot from 2009 through 2011, according to data provider Dealogic.

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With Groupon and Zynga now in registration, and Facebook and Twitter IPOs looming further out, the issue is no small matter to venture capitalists, Internet company insiders, investment bankers, Valley real-estate brokers and wide variety of other people.

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Goldman and Morgan Stanley are running neck-and-neck for the title of No. 1 in underwriting the most U.S.-listed IPOs for 2011, according to Dealogic.

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To his own numbers, Bartlett may well reply today that tax rates can no longer be explained away as the reason for a reduction in startups, and subsequent IPOs (46 in 2010 versus 210 in 2000).

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