We investigate the transition from private to public ownership of comp
anies that bad previously been subject to leveraged buyouts (LBOs). We
show that the information asymmetry problem firms face when they go t
o public markets for equity, as well as behavioral and debt overhang e
ffects, will produce a pattern in which superior performance before an
offering should be expected, with disappointing performance subsequen
tly. We find empirical evidence of this phenomenon by studying 62 reve
rse LBOs that went public between 1983 and 1987. The market appears to
anticipate this pattern.