"Going public" happens when a company sells shares of its stock to the public for the first time. This is called an initial public offering, or IPO. Companies go public in order to accumulate capital to expand.
Prior to going public, a company contacts an investment bank to advise them about how many shares to offer and the price of the shares. The investment bank plays the role of underwriter. The underwriter is responsible for the legalities of the deal as well as selling shares to public investors.
The IPO Showcase section of this website is devoted to IPOs.
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