As far as I understood, facebook are going IPO sometime around mid-next week (1 Feb I guess).. I do hold an account on swissquote, but didn't get my cash running yet.. Just thought to ask (being an absolute newbie), are IPOs offered for the public, just like me? And if yes, how/when can I place an order on those shares through swissquote?

I keep my fingers crossed, hoping to avoid the 'use the search function' phrase

Which search function? For EF or lmgtfy.com?

Typically, no. IPOs are generally offered to large investors or syndicates of investors. They can be open to the public but only if you meet certain minimum requirements. That is, at least, my limited understanding based on....Google searching.

The P in IPO stands for 'Public' (Initial Public Offering). Public would include Retail + Institutional Investors. You can definitely subscribe to it in the retail quota once the issue is on offer (Assuming you fit the criteria). You need to go through the offer document to judge your eligibility.
There is no guarantee though, that you will be allotted the number of shares you applied for, because it depends upon the total number of subscriptions the offer recieves. Hope this helps.

Most IPOs in the US are 'open' to the public. open as in sure you can apply... getting your hands on any is a bit like the lotto.

If you ask me, the 100Bn valuation is nuts. I would rather wait for the usual 6 months until after the founders and insiders and the bankers are able to get out, and then see where it settles. I'm betting it will be worth a lot less than 100Bn a year from now.

I agree with you on this one dino..

It strikes me as one of those IPOs that's relying entirely on the significant press coverage and not at all on what used to be known as fundamentals. But hey, what do I know? I'm poor.

In any case, the real winners will be the ones having a share before the IPO.

Well, it's game on @ 38.00 / share

The vendor and his interests are telling you it's the elixir of youth; all you have to do is give them your money.

They've already exited. Good luck there.



And HOW MUCH for Pinterest.com??? A cool $Billion? FOR WHAT????

Not looking good so far...

If this opens below $38 it's gonna be the biggest flop of all times!

Edit: Ok open at $43 and dropping... oh dear not a good start but let's see

and boom it's broke the $40 mark!

So no first day pop for poor FB. For once the retail investors did not buy the hype, and all the institutionals are stuck with the garbage.

The stock spent an amazing amount of time sitting pennies above $38. I sure hope the underwrites spent tens of millions trying to avoid the embarrassment of having the price fall below offer price on day one

I suspect it will fall below $38 in the next few days...

But seriously, kudos to Zuck and team for sucking all that cash out of the big boys.

Facebook? Pointless.

Facebook stock? Ha ha ha!

Rumor has it that Facebook went public because they couldn't figure out the new privacy settings

Price currently tumbling on open, holding at $35 atm.

Article in The Times business section today saying how this IPO has sucked in valuable cash that could have gone to curing cancer or solving the world's energy problems - instead we all want a quick buck...

awww... all those high-net-worth clients, the old money, the well connected, the jet set who pulled strings and called favors to be allowed to buy into THE hot IPO of the decade ... don't you feel sorry for the poor bastards?

13% down from issue price on day 2.

makes a nice change from the average Joe getting screwed every time...

Ha ha!

All just hot bubble that's just gonna burst sooner or later!
Social NOT-working Bubble here we come!

The average Jow is getting screwed. The people who get dibs on the shares are the ones dumping it between 38 and 45, and the "average Joe" bought them, now are panicked, the stock is taking the dive, and people who had dibs will swoop in when the stock becomes under valued. It's like any other IPO in recent memory.

If you think the rich guy is the one losing out here you are poorly mistaken.

some of that may be true, but from what I understand, people who get allocated in the IPO are not allowed to flip for some time - usually 3 to 6 months.

certainly the insiders, the early investors etc (other than those who sold in the IPO) are subject to a 'lock-up'.

and of course MS and the other underwriters - who had to stand in as buyers on day 1 to keep the price from falling below $38. how do you think they're making out eh??

i like FB, but the thing that stops me from investing is that I think Zuckerberg is instrumental to the success of FB and I wonder how long a newly married guy in his twenties is going to stay and do the day job having just earned 19bn...