Google is considering holding a massive online auction of shares early next year in an initial public offering that investment bankers predict could value the firm at $15 billion to $25 billion, newspapers reported.
According to the Wall Street Journaland the Financial Times, the company contacted more than a dozen investment banks earlier this month about possibly selling shares to the public, people familiar with the talks said.
Google executives trimmed the list to about half a dozen and spent two days last week interviewing representatives of those companies, the sources added.
Sources claim investment bankers have estimated Google's value at $15 billion to $25 billion - on a par with Amazon.com and slightly less than rival search directory Yahoo Inc.
But some of the basic questions about a potential IPO remain unanswered, including the timing of the offering, which banks will be involved, how many shares will be offered, and even the method for distributing shares, the Journalsaid.
AFP