When it comes to the market, there are many differences thus far between the early part of this year and last—perhaps none more pronounced than the dearth of companies going public.

Taking that point a step further is the slowdown in special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs. While all the rage the past two years, both SPACs going public and those finding a target to merge with are on the decline—and newly proposed rule changes by the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding blank-check firms could further affect the market, according to those in the industry. READ MORE