Business and Personal Finance Dictionary

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• IPO (INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING)
  
  A company's first sale of stock to the public. Securities offered in an IPO are often, but not always, those of young, small companies seeking outside equity capital and a public market for their stock. Investors purchasing stock in IPOs generally must be prepared to accept very large risks for the possibility of large gains. IPOs by investment companies (closed-end funds) usually contain underwriting fees which represent a cost to buyers.
  
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