Initial public offering (redirected from initial offering)

Initial public offering (IPO)

A company's first sale of stock to the public. Securities offered in an IPO are often, but not always, those of young, small companies seeking outside equity capital and a public market for their stock. Investors purchasing stock in IPOs generally must be prepared to accept considerable risks for the possibility of large gains. IPOs by investment companies (closed-end funds) usually include underwriting fees that represent a load to buyers.

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initial public offering (IPO)

A company's first sale of stock to the public. Securities offered in an IPO are often but not always those of young, small companies seeking outside equity capital and a public market for their stock. Investors purchasing stock in IPOs generally assume very large risks for the possibility of large gains. See also pre-IPO.

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Initial public offering

Also called IPO. The first price for which a company offers to sell its stock 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 offer most IPOs, but large companies who wish to be publicly traded can offer them as well. An IPO is generally a risky investment, because one does not know how much demand will exist for the stock after its intial offering; the risk comes from the uncertainty of the stock's resale value. See also: Publicly-traded company.

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Initial public offering (IPO). When a company reaches a certain stage in its growth, it may decide to issue stock, or go public, with an initial public offering (IPO). The goal may be to raise capital, to provide liquidity for the existing shareholders, or a number of other reasons.

Any company planning an IPO must register its offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In most cases, the company works with an investment bank, which underwrites the offering. That means marketing the shares being offered to the public at a set price with the expectation of making a profit.