Facebook considering an IPO in second quarter of 2012
Facebook Inc. may be closing in on an initial public stock offering.
The social media giant is considering an IPO sometime in the second quarter of next year, although the exact timing has not yet been determined, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Facebook reportedly is contemplating a $10-billion offering that would value the Palo Alto company at $100 billion.
Investors have eagerly awaited a chance to buy into the fast-growing technology Goliath after a string of IPOs this year from smaller social media companies.
Facebook could not be reached for comment.
The timing of Facebook’s IPO is likely to hinge in part on the condition of the stock market, which has not been kind lately to some other prominent tech IPOs.
In a major disappointment, shares of one of this year’s most closely watched IPOs, online-coupon company Groupon Inc., have plunged recently. The stock closed Monday at $15.24, far below the $20 price at which it sold shares to investors earlier this month.
