IPO's

New organizations are emerging in its place—organizations that are corporate in form but have no public shareholders and are not listed or traded on organized exchanges. These organizations use public and private debt, rather than public equity, as their major source of capital. Their primary owners are not households but large institutions and entrepreneurs that […]

Increased public scrutiny, decreased stock-option appeal, and the relentless expectations of Wall Street are taking their toll on a once high-flying consultancy. Is going private the way out?

A few weeks ago, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors issued stock to the public. Its charismatic CEO Elon Musk was once touted by Wired as a "triple...

Yelp's IPO filing comes hot on the heels of successful IPOs and high valuations for Angie's List and Groupon. Yelp's timing reflects both a tech-friendly...

The market cares about a company’s leaders, not just its metrics.

The Idea: When Google announced its intention to go public, in 2004, all eyes were on its unorthodox strategy. Here’s how it played out.

Over the past 17 years I’ve worked with hundreds of executives to raise billions of dollars — from private equity to hedge funds to IPOs. I’ve seen road shows done right, but I’ve also seen every mistake in the book. In today’s see-saw economy, just as important as the timing of your IPO is being […]

You might be surprised at what your acquirer will agree to — if you just ask.

New research suggests that the market's recent self-regulation efforts are more than a PR stunt.

Why are some networks so much more profitable than others?

Four years ago, Diane Ashton and Sundeep Lal were working together at MIT on a titanium extraction project. Durable and highly heat resistant, titanium...

Reports of the “eclipse of the public corporation” underestimate its institutional staying power and unique capacity for renewal. In his recent HBR article, Michael C. Jensen, a distinguished scholar of corporate finance and governance, argues for a revolution in the structure of ownership and control in the U.S. economy.1 I share many of his criticisms […]

Whether, when, and how to take a family or individually owned company public are decisions that have faced a great many entrepreneurs. They have taken actions that have brought happiness and fulfillment to some and unhappiness to others. Perhaps people who are presently reflecting on such dilemmas can draw some useful thoughts from a study […]

In case you hadn’t noticed, Facebook really doesn’t want to go public. At least, not yet. The seven-year-old company is now valued at $50 billion, significantly more than one-time Internet behemoths Yahoo! or eBay. (It’s also been said that the company’s value tops media giant Time Warner’s, but that’s only if you ignore the value […]

Four years ago, Diane Ashton and Sundeep Lal were working together at MIT on a titanium extraction project. Durable and highly heat resistant, titanium...

Limited oversight, tons of money, and hype for days. What could go wrong?

I am not pessimistic about Facebook's future. I have used the social network for eight years and continue to be impressed with Mark Zuckerberg's focus...

Start-ups are getting bigger faster than ever—but that’s no guarantee of success.

Companies that retain their CEO founders when preparing for IPOs often come out ahead in the long run, says Martin L. Martens at Concordia University.

Initial public offerings are expensive, and many owners turn to M&A instead. But a little-understood mechanism known as a tax receivable agreement can...