This IPO is VERY hot. I pulled some strings and got nada, I'm usually good and getting an IPO or two.
I bought EMC because the books are going to look mighty rosey with 80% of VMware still with them, the issue will soar first day- there is a slight
" green " angle to them as well. My sources have said that the whole affair is " wildly overpriced " but I don't agree.
Strategy Buy EMC for the long haul and wiggle into the IPO after a day or two. ~ stoney
PS The clock has finally started on the VMware (VMW) IPO. According to reports Monday, EMC (EMC) will partially spinoff its VMware division as a public company on August 14th.
It will be 33-million shares priced $23 to $25, which is lower than I would have expected -- and likely to be adjusted higher as the book fills.
I'm guessing VMware will come public with around a $10-billion market cap, which, among other things, is another $9-billion to EMC given its 90% holding.
Underwriters are Citi, J.P. Morgan, Lehman, Credit Suisse, and Merrill.
PPS- The Dangers- The small number of shares being offered to the public, only 10%. The offering will be over-subscribed and the individual investor will only be getting access to shares after the big pop that can be expected when the big underwriters and funds finally begin to sell on the open market.
2. Revenues have been increasing rapidly but expenses are increasing as fast as revenues. Will this eventually hold the stock back when it becomes publicly traded?
3. The competitive landscape is becoming more complicated. VMware pretty much had the field to itself but there are now a couple of initiatives that are having an impact. There are open-source solutions beginning to emerge for the Linux world. More ominously, Microsoft has developed a virtualization solution that they will be bundling with their Windows server software. That essentially means that buyers will receive it (almost) free as part of their basic operating system purchase. There will be some companies that will take the Microsoft product as the path of least resistance and not even consider VMware.