Big-think policy debates still heating up

The big-think debate about Sarbanes-Oxley just isn't going away. Many commentators still cite Sarbox as the key reason the domestic IPO market is flagging. But it is much more complex than that. It's fair to say that the law may have an effect, but there are many factors that come into play. We'll see how all this plays out. The recent strength of the U.S. market is a hopeful sign. Most interestingly, we've seen a resurgence in deals by foreign companies. So far this year, about 20 percent of all deals have been from foreign issuers, compared with about 16 percent a year ago. True, the NYSE has moved its unit that markets to foreign companies to Paris. And its push abroad may be driven by Sarbox. But the trend globally is toward more Sarbox-like regulations. I hold that the U.S. market may emerge stronger than ever.

For more on the state of the IPO market:
- read this Washington Post article