A public offering is the offering of
securities
A security is a tradable financial asset. The term commonly refers to any form of financial instrument, but its legal definition varies by jurisdiction. In some countries and languages people commonly use the term "security" to refer to any for ...
of a
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
or a similar
corporation to the public. Generally, the securities are to be listed on a
stock exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
. In most jurisdictions, a public offering requires the issuing company to publish a
prospectus detailing the terms and rights attached to the offered security, as well as information on the company itself and its finances. Many other
regulatory requirements surround any public offering and they vary according to jurisdiction.
The services of an
underwriter are often used to conduct a public offering.
Stock offering
Initial public offering (IPO) is one type of public offering. Not all public offerings are IPOs. An IPO occurs only when a company offers its
shares
In financial markets, a share is a unit of equity ownership in the capital stock of a corporation, and can refer to units of mutual funds, limited partnerships, and real estate investment trusts. Share capital refers to all of the shares of an ...
(not other securities) for the first time for public ownership and trading, an act making it a
public company.
However, public offerings are also made by already-listed companies. The company issues additional securities to the public, adding to those currently being traded. For example, a listed company with 8 million
shares outstanding can offer to the public another 2 million shares. This is a public offering but not an IPO. Once the transaction is complete, the company will have 10 million shares outstanding. Non-initial public offering of equity is also called
seasoned equity offering.
A
shelf prospectus is often used by companies in exactly that situation. Instead of drafting one before each public offering, the company can file a single prospectus detailing the terms of many different securities it might offer in the next several years. Shortly before the offering (if any) actually takes place, the company informs the public of material changes in its finances and outlook since the publication of the shelf prospectus.
Other security types
Other types of securities, besides shares, can be offered publicly.
Bonds,
warrants,
capital notes and many other kinds of
debt and
equity
Equity may refer to:
Finance, accounting and ownership
* Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them
** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business
** Home equity, the dif ...
vehicles are offered, issued and traded in public capital markets. A
private company, with no shares listed publicly, can still issue other securities to the public and have them traded on an exchange. A public company may also offer and list other securities alongside its shares.
Primary and secondary offering
Most public offerings are in the
primary market, that is, the issuing company itself is the offerer of securities to the public. The offered securities are then issued (allocated, allotted) to the new owners. If it is an offering of shares, this means that the company's
outstanding capital grows. If it is an offering of other securities, this entails the creation or expansion of a series (of bonds, warrants, etc.). However, more rarely, public offerings take place in the
secondary market
The secondary market, also called the aftermarket and follow on public offering, is the financial market in which previously issued financial instruments such as stock, bonds, options, and futures are bought and sold. The initial sale of the s ...
. This is called a
secondary market offering
A secondary market offering, according to the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), is a registered offering of a large block of a security that has been previously issued to the public. The blocks being offered may have been held ...
: existing security holders offer to sell their stake to other, new owners, through the stock exchange. The offerer is different from the issuer (the company). A secondary market offering is still a public offering with much the same requirements, including a prospectus.
United States
In the United States, primary offerings are typically done via
Form S-1
Form S-1 is an SEC filing used by companies planning on going public to register their securities with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as the "registration statement by the Securities Act of 1933". The S-1 contains the basic b ...
filings while secondary offerings often use
Form S-3
Form S-3 is the most simplified securities registration form used by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It may only be used by companies that have been required to report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for a minimum of twelve m ...
to issue through a shelf registration.
See also
*
Public offering without listing
References
{{Financial markets navigation
Corporate finance
Financial markets
Offering
Offering may refer to:
In religion
* A religious offering or sacrifice
* Alms, voluntary gifts to others, especially poor people, as an act of virtue
* Tithe, the tenth part of something, such as income, paid to a religious organization or gover ...
Initial public offering