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Initial Public Offerings

An Introduction To The IPO Process

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An initial public offering or IPO is a mechanism for companies to make available for the first time shares of their stock. Its purpose is to either raise capital for a new company or to fulfill a desire by an existing company to make their shares available to the public. Whether it is a new or existing company, the IPO process follows a fairly straight forward path with precise steps along the way.

The first thing a company must do before issuing stock is file a registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC.) Since the SEC has the power of nullifying any attempt to go public, a companys statement must be thoroughly accurate. Data concerning the financial health of the company must be entirely truthful. Due diligence should be the order of the day. Putting a company out onto the IPO Market is serious business. Every step in the IPO Process must be done carefully.

Sometime after, or possibly before, the registration process is done, a company will seek one or multiple investment bankers. The investment bankers will do two things for the company. First of all, they will get the companys prospectus into the hands of potential future share holders. A prospectus is a legal document that describes in detail the situation of the company. Inclusions in a prospectus are outlines of the companys market, financial statements, projections on future stock pricing and biographical information about its executives. The prospectus is sometimes called a red herring. This nickname is given because of the red ink on its cover. The red ink is a notice stamped by the SEC stating that shares cannot be bought prior to registration approval.

The second thing that an investment banker, or underwriter, does is buy the companys stock and then resell it to the public. In a so-called road show, executives from the company and the underwriters promote the stock to possible investors. This is done by meeting and going over company strategy.

In selling the shares to the underwriter, rather than directly in the marketplace (i. E. The New York Stock Exchange, ) a company does not assume market risk, it does not bear excessive promotion expense, and most importantly, it acquires its money up front. Of course, by mitigating risk and selling their stock at a fixed price to an underwriter, companies sacrifice the possibility of a higher per share price that might otherwise be generated at an exchange.

Selling to the underwriter cannot take place until registration has been approved by the SEC. Upon approval, and generally a day or so before the public offering is made, the investment banker and company executives will conclude how many shares to offer and the price per share. After all of this has taken place and the money and shares of stock are exchanged, the offering is complete.

Before deciding to buy a companys securities, underwriters do careful and complete research on that company. Prior to taking the risk, they want to be confident that the stock will sell for more than the price they paid. They face the possibility of huge profits but also the possibility of huge losses.

It goes without saying that while the risk is high for investment bankers, the IPO process offers huge potential for profit. It can be very exciting to have an opportunity to pay a low price for stock that will someday be worth a fortune.

We are a tax and advisory firm, as part of an international network under one name. We act with integrity and always strive to achieve professionalism. If you want to know how to IPO or the IPO How, we have the people with the expertise.

Initial Public Offerings

The Process Of Making An IPO In Canada

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Every business owner wants to see their company develop and thrive for years. Taking your business public, or making an Initial Public Offering (IPO), is an essential step to growing your business. Going public is the process of offering new equity such as stocks, shares, trust units, partnership units, etc. Whatever your reasons for going public, there is a process that must be followed before the company can actually go public.

The following is the general process of making an IPO Canada:

1. IPO Preparation: You will be required to have a solid and detailed business plan. It will be helpful when creating the prospectus. A prospectus is a document that gives all of the information that investors require to make an informed investment decision. It will contain such information as financial data and information about the company including its history, future prospects, employee salaries, legal fees, any risks, and other relevant information. It is important to be aware that there will be costs associated with going public. As well, when you prepare the prospectus, you will have to assess pros and cons of going public to determine if it is a worthwhile venture.

2. Develop an Action Plan: Once you have a business plan, you will know what you must have in order to go public. Your financial statements must be in order and current. You must have an expert to advise you on any required management restructuring. You should also have created an IPO advisory group to help with establishing business relationships and marketing strategies.

3. Undergoing Due Diligence: This is when the underwriters and their lawyers perform a methodical examination of all areas of the company. It usually takes about 60 days to complete. The underwriters’ lawyers will ask for any relevant business documents and provide a questionnaire for the company’s directors and officers. There will also be meetings to ask questions.

4. Building a Public Profile: You will have to generate public interest in your company in order to attract investors. You should develop solid business relationships with your advisors to create a professional and credible reputation. Your IPO team of professionals and your chief underwriter will make presentations to the business and investment community. It normally consists of traveling to a number of key cities. During this time, a solid market strategy is essential.

5. Market Pricing: The underwriters will monitor market conditions and experiment with market pricing. As well, the underwriters will normally suggest the final price and offering size. It is important to remember that the biggest cost during a public offering is the underwriters’ fees expenses associated with the offering.

The final process of making an IPO Canada is making sure your company appears to be a professional and competently run business. You have to make sure the authority structure is in place and the employees and investors understand the structure. Preparing for an IPO takes a lot of thought, assessment, and planning. By understanding what the process entails, you will have a much smoother private to public transition.

For more information about making an IPO Canada, be sure to consult with the professionals. There are many things to consider on IPO How properly and legally.