Banks to Sell Stock to Repay TARP

(NEWSER) - May has already been the busiest month ever in new share offers from publicly traded companies, the Wall Street Journal reports. The $54.9 billion in sales this year put the market at a level of activity not seen since 2000. “It’s an indication that the healing process has begun,” one CFO said. But steep discounts point to continued skittishness on the part of investors. More»

Government trying to unwind stock without losing on the deal

(NEWSER) - The Treasury Department has had a tough time selling off some of the stock it took on in exchange for TARP bailout funds, meaning taxpayers are still on the hook for some $132.9 billion—some of which they may never get back, according to a report released today by the government watchdog overseeing the program. Selling the stock has been complicated by swingy stock market prices, and deep dips in some of the bailed out companies, the AP reports. More»

Despite questions about its accounting, valuation, and leadership

(NEWSER) - Groupon is going ahead with its IPO plans , and will launch its official roadshow to drum up interest next week, sources tell Reuters . The move comes despite recent turmoil in the stock market and questions about Groupon’s own accounting practices. The IPO is expected to value the company at more than $10 billion. That’s about half of what it was expected to be before the summer’s stock slump, but some are still skeptical about the figure. More»

Market hungry for social networking companies

(NEWSER) - LinkedIn had its IPO today, and there was an investor feeding frenzy before the bell had even rung. The shares wound up opening at $83, an 84% premium on their $45 offering price, the Wall Street Journal reports. They're currently trading at around $105—having peaked this morning at $122. It’s the biggest Internet IPO since Google, and has raised fears that investors are buying into a new tech bubble. More»

Private sector gives electric cars a vote of confidence

(NEWSER) - The Dow may have plunged yesterday, but over on the Nasdaq, things were great for new kid Tesla Motors. In its first day of trading, Tesla's price shot up almost 41% from its $17 offer price, closing at $23.89, after at one point hitting $25, MarketWatch reports. The company's broke founder , Elon Musk, sold 1.4 million shares in the process, pulling in more than $15 million. More»