With market swings, Mass. firms consider IPO options

“Any company that goes public in this market has to be willing to take a haircut,’’ said David Menlow, president of IPOfinancial.com, a Millburn, N.J., firm that tracks IPOs. “The demand for IPOs is still there on the part of investors, but it’s a buyer’s market. So there will be repricing.’’

These nine Massachusetts-based companies have not set dates for their IPOs, but all have filed the required paperwork to go public. They range across a wide variety of tech-oriented sectors, from Myriant Corp. of Quincy, which makes biofuels, to e-commerce software maker Demandware Inc. of Burlington.

None of the companies responded to requests for comment on its IPO strategies. US securities law severely restricts information that companies can release during the mandated “quiet period’’ after registering for an IPO.

One strategy many IPO registrants are probably considering is the one that worked for Carbonite. With its price sharply reduced, shares in the Boston online computer-backup service jumped more than 23 percent on the first day of trading, closing at $12.35. Since then, Carbonite’s stock has continued to rise. Yesterday, it closed at $15.54 a share.

“In this volatile stock market environment, IPO investors will not step up to the table unless they can get a big discount so they can be sure to make money,’’ said Kathleen Smith, principal of Renaissance Capital, an IPO investment consulting firm.

Another strategy during periods of dramatic stock market fluctuations: Postpone the IPO in the hopes that a more stable environment for offerings will emerge. Last week, when Carbonite went public, 10 other companies across the country decided to put off their IPOs until the markets quieted down.

Scott Gehsmann, a partner with consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s transaction services group, said a strategic postponement is often the best choice when the markets hit a turbulent patch.

“In the thick of the volatility, many companies wisely decided to wait,’’ Gehsmann said, “even if it’s only until after Labor Day.’’