public offering

Public offering

Used in the context of general equities. Offering to the investment public, after compliance with registration requirements of the SEC, usually by an investment banker or a syndicate made up of several investment bankers, at a price agreed upon between the issuer and the investment bankers. Antithesis of private placement. See: Primary distribution and secondary distribution.

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public offering

The sale of an issue of securities to the public, an activity that usually occurs with the assistance of an investment banker that purchases the securities from the issuer and then resells them to the public. Also called distribution, offering.

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Public Offering

An issue of stock by a publicly-traded company. A company makes a public offering through underwriters, who have the responsibility to place the offering with individual and institutional investors. Companies make public offerings in order to raise financing for expanded operations; the offerings themselves give investors a portion of ownership in the company issuing them. The first public offering of a company is called an initial public offering, and marks the point when a company ceases to be privately held and becomes publicly traded.