Initial Public Offering (IPO)

A company's first public offering of stock. In an IPO, investment banks buy a company's shares and then offer them to the public at an offering price. As the stock is traded, the market price may be more or less than the offering price. Keep in mind that the return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.