Going public

When a private company first offers shares to the public market and investors. See: IPO.

Going Public

The act or process of a company selling stock in itself when it moves from private ownership to public trade. More generally, it refers to the actual first sale of stock to the public. Small companies looking for a new source of financing often go public, but large companies who wish to be publicly traded can do so as well. Investing in a company that is going public is generally risky because one does not know how much demand will exist for the stock after its initial offering. This risk comes from the uncertainty of the stock's resale value. See also: Publicly-traded company.

going public

The process by which a privately held company sells a portion of its ownership to the general public through a stock offering. Owners generally take their firms public because they need additional large sums of equity funding that they are unable or unwilling to contribute themselves.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.

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References in periodicals archive

Going public allows shareholders to partly exit and maintain control depending on the stake sold through IPO, and they can take comfort knowing that their businesses will continue in operation after their exit or partial exist, as a public company is expected to function on stand-alone basis independent of its founding shareholders, added Drake.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Pinnacle Trust chief investment officer Jeremy Nelson agrees going public is not as attractive as it used to be.

Numbers down, and there's a reason: legislation, weak economy make it more difficult for Mississippi companies to go public

Early studies of going public adopted a "political capital" theory in which the president could move public opinion rather easily, simply through the exertion of effort (Kernell 1986).

Going public when opinion is contested: evidence from presidents' campaigns for Supreme Court nominees, 1930-2009

Zuckerberg has been coy about a possible initial public offering (I.P.O.), recently telling CBS' "60 Minutes" that he doesn't see selling the company or going public as an end goal, as a lot of entrepreneurs seem to.

Investments place value of Facebook at $50 billion

The c-bank could also revoke other restrictions for Russian banks' going public, specifically probing funds for building their charter capital, he added.

Russian c-bank could facilitate IPO procedure for banks

There is a drive to expand into new markets and to fund this expansion by going public. To attract investment, family businesses are becoming more transparent.

Can Saudi firms be brand savvy?

The case against going public could be summarised under a number of headings, starting with the costs and risks of going public.

It pays off? Should you consider an initial public offering for your business?

Why Should a Company Consider Going Public or Staying Public?

Go public ... stay public? What to consider before taking the plunge or exiting the pool

Many private business owners dream of "going public." It's the ultimate entrepreneurial status symbol.

Going public: dream or reality?

Called 'Going Public 2' the two installations--Case Studies of the Mayor's Design and Construction Excellence Initiative and City Snapshot(s)--document the scope, quality, and diversity of public work in New York City.

Mayor reveals shape of things to come at AIA exhibition

He says more and more entrepreneurs are asking if it is really worth going public, "with all the headaches involved in dealing with Sarbanes-Oxley, the liability and the overall hassle." He's also seen an increase in U.S.

Regulation: a help or hindrance to business growth?