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Initial Public Offering

By Ken Little, About.com

Definition: The first time a company issues stock for sale to the public is known as the initial public offering or IPO. The company is said to be “going public” when this happens. The offering is highly regulated and often surrounded by a lot of media attention. Hot technology stocks in the late 1990s often saw immediate price increases of 300% or more and just as often a corresponding collaspe.
Also Known As: IPO

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