Central Bancompany (CBC.US) successfully raised $373.33 million in its initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday, marking its entry into the capital markets amid turbulence in the private credit sector that has prompted investors to reassess regional banks. The Jefferson City, Missouri-based bank priced its IPO at $21 per share, the lower end of its previously announced $21–$24 range, issuing 17.78 million shares and valuing the company at $5.01 billion.

The IPO comes as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) resumes operations following the longest government shutdown in history, with expectations that December will see a revival in U.S. IPO activity. The shutdown had stalled IPO approvals, disrupting what was poised to be the busiest fall listing window since 2021.

Bank IPOs have become increasingly rare due to tightening regulations and rising compliance and technology costs. Investors and analysts note that consolidation among regional banks has emerged as the optimal strategy to compete with larger institutions, which benefit from diversified revenue streams and broader geographic reach. Smaller banks, meanwhile, face heightened scrutiny over their exposure to recent corporate bankruptcies, raising concerns about loan standards and structural transparency in the multi-trillion-dollar global private credit market.

Central Bancompany, with total assets of $19.2 billion and $15.4 billion in wealth management assets under administration, serves individual and business clients across Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Florida. The offering was jointly led by Morgan Stanley and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods as co-bookrunners.

The stock is set to begin trading on the Nasdaq exchange on Thursday under the ticker "CBC."