What is a Bank?

Introduction
Finance is the life blood of trade, commerce and industry. Now-adays, banking sector acts as the backbone of modern business. Development of any country mainly depends upon the banking system. The term bank is derived from the French word Banco which means a Benchor Money exchange table. In olden days, European money lenders or money changers used to display (show) coins of different countries in big heaps (quantity) on benches or tables for the purpose of lending or exchanging. Its and advances and other related services. It receives money from those who want to save in the form of deposits and it lends money to those who need it. A bank is a financial institution and a financial intermediary that accepts deposits and channels those deposits into lending activities, either directly or through capital markets. A bank connects customers that have capital deficits to customers with capital surpluses.[citation needed] Due to their critical status within the financial system and the economy[citation needed] generally, banks are highly regulated in most countries. Most banks operate under a system known as fractional reserve banking where they hold only a small reserve of the funds deposited and lend out the rest for profit. They are generally subject to minimum capital requirements which are based on an international set of capital standards, known as the Basel Accords. The oldest bank still in existence is Monte dei Paschi di Siena, headquartered in Siena, Italy, which has been operating continuously since 1472.

Definition of a Bank
"an establishment for custody of money, which it pays out on customer's order." ---- Oxford Dictionary

Bank is an organization whose principal operations are concerned with the accumulation of the temporarily idle money of the general public for the purpose of advancing to others for expenditure. ----- Prof. Kent

Bank are institutions whose debts are usually referred to as bank deposits are commonly accepted in final settlement of other peoples debts. ---- R.S.Sayers

What are the Functions of Banks? The functions of banks are briefly highlighted in following Diagram or Chart.

These functions of banks are explained in following paragraphs of this article.

A. Primary Functions of Banks

The primary functions of a bank are also known as banking functions. They are the main functions of a bank.These primary functions of banks are explained below.

1. Accepting Deposits
The bank collects deposits from the public. These deposits can be of different types, such as :a. Saving Deposits b. Fixed Deposits c. Current Deposits d. Recurring Deposits

a. Saving Deposits
This type of deposits encourages saving habit among the public. The rate of interest is low. At present it is about 5% p.a. Withdrawals of deposits are allowed subject to certain restrictions. This account is suitable to salary and wage earners. This account can be opened in single name or in joint names. b. Fixed Deposits Lump sum amount is deposited at one time for a specific period. Higher rate of interest is paid, which varies with the period of deposit. Withdrawals are not allowed before the expiry of the period. Those who have surplus funds go for fixed deposit.

c. Current Deposits This type of account is operated by businessmen. Withdrawals are freely allowed. No interest is paid. In fact, there are service charges. The account holders can get the benefit of overdraft facility. d. Recurring Deposits This type of account is operated by salaried persons and petty traders. A certain sum of money is periodically deposited into the bank. Withdrawals are permitted only after the expiry of certain period. A higher rate of interest is paid.

2. Granting of Loans and Advances

The bank advances loans to the business community and other members of the public. The rate charged is higher than what it pays on deposits. The difference in the interest rates (lending rate and the deposit rate) is its profit. The types of bank loans and advances are :a. Overdraft b. Cash Credits c. Loans d. Discounting of Bill of Exchange

a. Overdraft
This type of advances are given to current account holders. No separate account is maintained. All entries are made in the current account. A certain amount is sanctioned as overdraft which can be withdrawn within a certain period of time say three months or so. Interest is charged on actual amount withdrawn. An overdraft facility is granted against a collateral security. It is sanctioned to businessman and firms.

b. Cash Credits
The client is allowed cash credit upto a specific limit fixed in advance. It can be given to current account holders as well as to others who do not have an account with bank. Separate cash credit account is maintained. Interest is charged on the amount withdrawn in excess of limit. The cash credit is given against the security of tangible assets and / or guarantees. The advance is given for a longer period and a larger amount of loan is sanctioned than that of overdraft.

c. Loans
It is normally for short term say a period of one year or medium term say a period of five years. Now-a-days, banks do lend money for long term. Repayment of money can be in the form of installments spread over a period of time or in a lumpsum amount. Interest is charged on the actual amount sanctioned, whether withdrawn or not. The rate of interest may be slightly lower than what is charged on overdrafts and cash credits. Loans are normally secured against tangible assets of the company.

d. Discounting of Bill of Exchange

The bank can advance money by discounting or by purchasing bills of exchange both domestic and foreign bills. The bank pays the bill amount to the drawer or the beneficiary of the bill by deducting usual discount charges. On maturity, the bill is presented to the drawee or acceptor of the bill and the amount is collected.

B. Secondary Functions of Banks

The bank performs a number of secondary functions, also called as non-banking functions.These important secondary functions of banks are explained below.

1. Agency Functions
The bank acts as an agent of its customers. The bank performs a number of agency functions which includes :a. Transfer of Funds b. Collection of Cheques c. Periodic Payments d. Portfolio Management e. Periodic Collections f. Other Agency Functions

a. Transfer of Funds
The bank transfer funds from one branch to another or from one place to another.

b. Collection of Cheques
The bank collects the money of the cheques through clearing section of its customers. The bank also collects money of the bills of exchange.

c. Periodic Payments
On standing instructions of the client, the bank makes periodic payments in respect of electricity bills, rent, etc.

d. Portfolio Management
The banks also undertakes to purchase and sell the shares and debentures on behalf of the clients and accordingly debits or credits the account. This facility is called portfolio management.

e. Periodic Collections
The bank collects salary, pension, dividend and such other periodic collections on behalf of the client.

f. Other Agency Functions

They act as trustees, executors, advisers and administrators on behalf of its clients. They act as representatives of clients to deal with other banks and institutions.

2. General Utility Functions

The bank also performs general utility functions, such as :a. Issue of Drafts, Letter of Credits, etc. b. Locker Facility c. Underwriting of Shares d. Dealing in Foreign Exchange e. Project Reports f. Social Welfare Programmes g. Other Utility Functions

a. Issue of Drafts and Letter of Credits

Banks issue drafts for transferring money from one place to another. It also issues letter of credit, especially in case of, import trade. It also issues travellers' cheques.

b. Locker Facility
The bank provides a locker facility for the safe custody of valuable documents, gold ornaments and other valuables.

c. Underwriting of Shares
The bank underwrites shares and debentures through its merchant banking division.

d. Dealing in Foreign Exchange

The commercial banks are allowed by RBI to deal in foreign exchange.

e. Project Reports
The bank may also undertake to prepare project reports on behalf of its clients.

f. Social Welfare Programmes

It undertakes social welfare programmes, such as adult literacy programmes, public welfare campaigns, etc.

g. Other Utility Functions

It acts as a referee to financial standing of customers. It collects creditworthiness information about clients of its customers. It provides market information to its customers, etc. It provides travellers' cheque facility.

Characteristics / Features of a Bank

1. Dealing in Money
Bank is a financial institution which deals with other people's money i.e. money given by depositors.

2. Individual / Firm / Company

A bank may be a person, firm or a company. A banking company means a company which is in the business of banking.

3. Acceptance of Deposit
A bank accepts money from the people in the form of deposits which are usually repayable on demand or after the expiry of a fixed period. It gives safety to the deposits of its customers. It also acts as a custodian of funds of its customers.

4. Giving Advances
A bank lends out money in the form of loans to those who require it for different purposes.

5. Payment and Withdrawal

A bank provides easy payment and withdrawal facility to its customers in the form of cheques and drafts, It also brings bank money in circulation. This money is in the form of cheques, drafts, etc.

6. Agency and Utility Services

A bank provides various banking facilities to its customers. They include general utility services and agency services.

7. Profit and Service Orientation

A bank is a profit seeking institution having service oriented approach.

8. Ever increasing Functions

Banking is an evolutionary concept. There is continuous expansion and diversification as regards the functions, services and activities of a bank.

9. Connecting Link
A bank acts as a connecting link between borrowers and lenders of money. Banks collect money from those who have surplus money and give the same to those who are in need of money.

10. Banking Business

A bank's main activity should be to do business of banking which should not be subsidiary to any other business.

11. Name Identity

A bank should always add the word "bank" to its name to enable people to know that it is a bank and that it is dealing in money.

Types of Bank
Saving Banks
Saving banks are established to create saving habit among the people. These banks are helpful for salaried people and low income groups. The deposits collected from customers are invested in bonds, securities, etc. At present most of the commercial banks carry the functions of savings banks. Postal department also performs the functions of saving bank.

Commercial Banks
Commercial banks are established with an objective to help businessmen. These banks collect money from general public and give shortterm loans to businessmen by way of cash credits, overdrafts, etc. Commercial banks provide various services like collecting cheques, bill of exchange, remittance money from one place to another place. In India, commercial banks are established under Companies Act, 1956. In 1969, 14 commercial banks were nationalised by Government of India. The policies regarding deposits, loans, rate of interest, etc. of these banks are controlled by the Central Bank.

Industrial Banks / Development Banks

Industrial / Development banks collect cash by issuing shares & debentures and providing long-term loans to industries. The main objective of these banks is to provide long-term loans for expansion and modernisation of industries. In India such banks are established on a large scale after independence. They are Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI), Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).

Land Mortgage / Land Development Banks

Land Mortgage or Land Development banks are also known as Agricultural Banks because these are formed to finance agricultural sector. They also help in land development. In India, Government has come forward to assist these banks. The Government has guaranteed the debentures issued by such banks. There is a great risk involved in the financing of agriculture and generally commercial banks do not take much interest in financing agricultural sector. Indigenous Banks Indigenous banks means Money Lenders and Sahukars. They collect deposits from general public and grant loans to the needy persons out of their own funds as well as from deposits. These indigenous banks are popular in villages and small towns. They perform combined functions of trading and banking activities. Certain well-known indian communities like Marwaries and Multani even today run specialised indigenous banks.

Central / Federal / National Bank

Every country of the world has a central bank. In India, Reserve Bank of India, in U.S.A, Federal Reserve and in U.K, Bank of England. These central banks are the bankers of the other banks. They provide specialised functions i.e. issue of paper currency, working as bankers of government, supervising and controlling foreign exchange. A central bank is a non-profit making institution. It does not deal with the public but it deals with other banks. The principal responsibility of Central Bank is thorough control on currency of a country.

Co-operative Banks
In India, Co-operative banks are registered under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912. They generally give credit facilities to small farmers, salaried employees, small-scale industries, etc. Co-operative Banks are available in rural as well as in urban areas. The functions of these banks are just similar to commercial banks.

Exchange Banks
Hong Kong Bank, Bank of Tokyo, Bank of America are the examples of Foreign Banks working in India. These banks are mainly concerned with financing foreign trade. Following are the various functions of Exchange Banks :Remitting money from one country to another country, Discounting of foreign bills, Buying and Selling Gold and Silver, and Helping Import and Export Trade.

Consumers Banks
Consumers bank is a new addition to the existing type of banks. Such banks are usually found only in advanced countries like U.S.A. and Germany. The main objective of this bank is to give loans to consumers for purchase of the durables like Motor car, television set, washing machine, furniture, etc. The consumers have to repay the loans in easy installments.

Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India's central banking institution, which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee. It was established on 1 April 1935 during the British Raj in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The share capital was divided into shares of 100 each fully paid which was entirely owned by private shareholders in the beginning.Following India's independence in 1947, the RBI was nationalised in the year 1949. The RBI plays an important part in the development strategy of the Government of India. It is a member bank of the Asian Clearing Union. The general superintendence and direction of the RBI is entrusted with the 20member-strong Central Board of Directorsthe Governor (currently Duvvuri Subbarao), four Deputy Governors, one Finance Ministry representative, ten Government-nominated Directors to represent important elements from India's economy, and four Directors to represent Local Boards headquartered at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and New Delhi. Each of these Local Boards consist of five members who represent regional interests, as well as the interests of co-operative and indigenous banks.

History
The Reserve Bank of India was founded on 1 April 1935 to respond to economic troubles after the First World War. It came into picture according to the guidelines laid down by Dr. Ambedkar. RBI was conceptualized as per the guidelines, working style and outlook presented by Dr Ambedkar in front of the Hilton Young Commission. When this commission came to India under the name of Royal Commission on Indian Currency & Finance, each and every member of this commission were holding Dr Ambedkars book named The Problem of the RupeeIts origin and its solution. The Bank was set up based on the recommendations of the 1926 Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance, also known as the HiltonYoung Commission. The original choice for the seal of RBI was The East India Company Double Mohur, with the sketch of the Lion and Palm Tree. However it was decided to replace the lion with the tiger, the national

animal of India. The Preamble of the RBI describes its basic functions to regulate the issue of bank notes, keep reserves to secure monetary stability in India, and generally to operate the currency and credit system in the best interests of the country. The Central Office of the RBI was initially established in Calcutta (now Kolkata), but was permanently moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1937. The RBI also acted as Burma's central bank, except during the years of the Japanese occupation of Burma (1942 45), until April 1947, even though Burma seceded from the Indian Union in 1937. After the Partition of India in 1947, the Bank served as the central bank for Pakistan until June 1948 when the State Bank of Pakistan commenced operations. Though originally set up as a shareholders bank, the RBI has been fully owned by the Government of India since its nationalization in 1949.

WHAT IS IPO
MEANING
A public offering is the offering of securities of a company or a similar corporation to the public. Generally, the securities are to be listed on a stock exchange. In most jurisdictions, a public offering requires the issuing company to publish a prospectus detailing the terms and rights attached to the offered security, as well as information on the company itself and its finances. Many other regulatory requirements surround any public offering and they vary according to jurisdiction. Initial public offering (IPO) is one type of public offering. Not all public offerings are IPOs. An IPO occurs only when a company offers its shares (not other securities) for the first time for public ownership and trading, an act making it a public company. However, public offerings are also made by already-listed companies. The company issues additional securities to the public, adding to those currently being traded. For example, a listed company with 8 million shares outstanding can offer to the public another 2 million shares. This is a public offering but not an IPO. Once the transaction is complete, the company will have 10 million shares outstanding. Non-initial public offering of equity is also called seasoned equity offering. A shelf prospectus is often used by companies in exactly that situation. Instead of drafting one before each public offering, the company can file a single prospectus detailing the terms of many different securities it might offer in the next several years. Shortly before the offering (if any) actually takes place, the company informs the public of material changes in its finances and outlook since the publication of the shelf prospectus. Other types of securities, besides shares, can be offered publicly. Bonds, warrants, capital notes and many other kinds of debt and equity vehicles are offered, issued and traded in public capital markets. A private company, with no shares listed publicly, can still issue other securities to the

public and have them traded on an exchange. A public company, of course, may also offer and list other securities alongside its shares. Most public offerings are in the primary market, that is, the issuing company itself is the offerer of securities to the public. The offered securities are then issued (allocated, allotted) to the new owners. If it is an offering of shares, this means that the company's outstanding capital grows. If it is an offering of other securities, this entails the creation or expansion of a series (of bonds, warrants, etc.). However, more rarely, public offerings take place in the secondary market. This is called a secondary market offering: existing security holders offer to sell their stake to other, new owners, through the stock exchange. The offerer is different from the issuer (the company). A secondary market offering is still a public offering with much the same requirements, including a prospectus. The services of an underwriter are often used to conduct a public offering. An initial public offering (IPO) or stock market launch is a type of public offering where shares of stock in a company are sold to the general public, on a securities exchange, for the first time. Through this process, a private company transforms into a public company. Initial public offerings are used by companies to raise expansion capital, to possiblymonetize the investments of early private investors, and to become publicly traded enterprises. A company selling shares is never required to repay the capital to its public investors. After the IPO, when shares trade freely in the open market, money passes between public investors. Although an IPO offers many advantages, there are also significant disadvantages. Chief among these are the costs associated with the process, and the requirement to disclose certain information that could prove helpful to competitors, or create difficulties with vendors. Details of the proposed offering are disclosed to potential purchasers in the form of a lengthy document known as a prospectus. Most companies undertaking an IPO do so with the assistance of an investment banking firm acting in the capacity of an underwriter. Underwriters provide a valuable service, which includes help with correctly assessing the value of shares (share price), and establishing a

public market for shares (initial sale). Alernative methods, such as the dutch auction have also been explored. The most notable recent example of this method is the Google IPO. China has recently emerged as a major IPO market, with several of the largest IPO offerings taking place in that country. When a company lists its securities on a public exchange, the money paid by the investing public for the newly issued shares goes directly to the company (primary offering) as well as to any early private investors who opt to sell all or a portion of their holdings (secondary offering) as part of the larger IPO. An IPO, therefore, allows a company to tap into a wide pool of potential investors to provide itself with capital for future growth, repayment of debt, or working capital. A company selling common shares is never required to repay the capital to its public investors. Those investors must endure the unpredictable nature of the open market to price and trade their shares. After the IPO, when shares trade freely in the open market, money passes between public investors. For early private investors who choose to sell shares as part of the IPO process, the IPO represents an opportunity tomonetize their investment. After the IPO, once shares trade in the open market, investors holding large blocks of shares can either sell those shares piecemeal in the open market, or sell a large block of shares directly to the public, at a fixed price, through a secondary market offering. This type of offering is not dilutive, since no new shares are being created. Once a company is listed, it is able to issue additional common shares in a number of different ways, one of which is the follow-on offering. This method provides capital for various corporate purposes through the issuance of equity (see stock dilution) without incurring any debt. This ability to quickly raise potentially large amounts of capital from the marketplace is a key reason many companies seek to go public.

An IPO accords several benefits to the previously private company: Enlarging and diversifying equity base Enabling cheaper access to capital Increasing exposure, prestige, and public image Attracting and retaining better management and employees through liquid equity participation Facilitating acquisitions (potentially in return for shares of stock) Creating multiple financing opportunities: equity, convertible debt, cheaper bank loans, etc.

Disadvantages of an IPO
There are several disadvantages to completing an initial public offering: Significant legal, accounting and marketing costs, many of which are ongoing Requirement to disclose financial and business information Meaningful time, effort and attention required of senior management Risk that required funding will not be raised Public dissemination of information which may be useful to competitors, suppliers and customers.

Procedure
IPOs generally involve one or more investment banks known as "underwriters". The company offering its shares, called the "issuer", enters into a contract with a lead underwriter to sell its shares to the public. The underwriter then approaches investors with offers to sell those shares. The sale (allocation and pricing) of shares in an IPO may take several forms. Common methods include: Best efforts contract Firm commitment contract All-or-none contract Bought deal A large IPO is usually underwritten by a "syndicate" of investment banks, the largest of which take the position of "lead underwriter". Upon selling the shares, the underwriters retain a portion of the proceeds as their fee. This fee is called an underwriting spread. The spread is calculated as a discount from the price of the shares sold (called the gross spread). Components of an underwriting spread in an initial public offering (IPO) typically include the following (on a per share basis): Manager's fee, Underwriting feeearned by members of the syndicate, and the Concessionearned by the broker-dealer selling the shares. The Manager would be entitled to the entire underwriting spread. A member of the syndicate is entitled to the underwriting fee and the concession. A broker dealer who is not a member of the syndicate but sells shares would receive only the concession, while the member of the syndicate who provided the shares to that broker dealer would retain the underwriting fee.[2] Usually, the managing/lead underwriter, also known as the bookrunner, typically the underwriter selling the largest proportions of the IPO, takes the highest portion of the gross spread, up to 8% in some cases. Multinational IPOs may have many syndicates to deal with differing legal requirements in both the issuer's domestic market and other regions. For example, an issuer based in the E.U. may be represented by the main selling syndicate in its domestic market, Europe, in addition to separate

syndicates or selling groups for US/Canada and for Asia. Usually, the lead underwriter in the main selling group is also the lead bank in the other selling groups. Because of the wide array of legal requirements and because it is an expensive process, IPOs typically involve one or more law firms with major practices in securities law, such as the Magic Circle firms of London and the white shoe firms of New York City. Public offerings are sold to both institutional investors and retail clients of the underwriters. A licensed securities salesperson (Registered Representative in the USA and Canada) selling shares of a public offering to his clients is paid a portion of the selling concession (the fee paid by the issuer to the underwriter) rather than by his client. In some situations, when the IPO is not a "hot" issue (undersubscribed), and where the salesperson is the client's advisor, it is possible that the financial incentives of the advisor and client may not be aligned. The issuer usually allows the underwriters an option to increase the size of the offering by up to 15% under certain circumstance known as the greenshoe or overallotment option. This option is always exercised when the offering is considered a "hot" issue, by virtue of being oversubscribed. In the USA, clients are given a preliminary prospectus, known as a red herring prospectus, during the initial quiet period. The red herring prospectus is so named because of a bold red warning statement printed on its front cover. The warning states that the offering information is incomplete, and may be changed. The actual wording can vary, although most roughly follow the format exhibited on the Facebook IPO red herring[3]. During the quiet period, the shares cannot be offered for sale. Brokers can, however, take "indications of interest" from their clients. At the time of the stock launch, after the Registration Statement has become effective, indications of interest can be converted to buy orders, at the discretion of the buyer. Sales can only be made through a final prospectus cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Before legal actions initiated by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, which later became known as the Global Settlement enforcement agreement, some large investment firmshad initiated favorable research coverage of companies in an effort to aid Corporate Finance departments and retail divisions engaged in the marketing of new issues. The central issue in that enforcement agreement had been judged in court previously. It involved the conflict of interest between the investment banking and analysis departments of ten of the largest investment firms in the United States. The investment firms involved in the settlement had all engaged in actions and practices that had allowed the inappropriate influence of their research analysts by their investment bankers seeking lucrative fees.[4] A typical violation addressed by the settlement was the case of CSFB and Salomon Smith Barney, which were alleged to have engaged in inappropriate spinning of "hot" IPOs and issued fraudulent research reports in violation of various sections within the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Dutch Auction
A Dutch Auction allows shares of an initial public offering to be allocated in an impartial way, with all successful bidders paying the same price per share. One version of the Dutch auction is OpenIPO, which is based on an auction system designed by Nobel Prize-winning economist William Vickrey. This auction method uses a mathematical model to treat all qualifying bids in an impartial way. It is similar to the model used to auction Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. Like a typical auction, the highest bidders win in this type of auction, but there are important differences. In the OpenIPO auction, the entire auction is private, and winning bidders all pay the same price per sharethe public offering price. A variation of the Dutch Auction has been used to take a number of companies public including Morningstar, Interactive Brokers Group, Overstock.com, Ravenswood Winery, Clean Energy Fuels, and Boston Beer Company. In 2004, Google used the Dutch Auction system for its Initial Public Offering. Traditional investment banks have shown resistance to the idea of using an auction process to engage in public securities offerings. The auction method allows for equal access to the allocation of shares and eliminates the favorable treatment accorded important clients by the underwriters in conventional IPOs. In the face of this resistance, the Dutch Auction is still a little used method in public offerings. In determining the success or failure of a Dutch Auction, one must consider competing points of view. If the objective is to raise as much money as possible for the issuer, a traditional IPO offering, priced near the top end of the underwriter's range, would likely achieve that objective. From the viewpoint of the investor, however, the Dutch Auction would be more effective at price discovery, and potentially result in a lower offering price.

Direct Public Offering

Financial historians Richard Sylla and Robert E. Wright have shown that before 1860 most early U.S. corporations sold shares in themselves directly to the public without the aid of intermediaries like investment banks.[5] The direct public offering or DPO, as they term it,[6] was not done by auction but rather at a share price set by the issuing corporation. The DPO eliminated the agency problem associated with offerings intermediated by investment banks but was not as effective at price discovery as the Dutch Auction.

Pricing of IPO
A company planning an IPO typically appoints a lead manager, known as a bookrunner, to help it arrive at an appropriate price at which the shares should be issued. There are two primary ways in which the price of an IPO can be determined. Either the company, with the help of its lead managers, fixes a price (fixed price method) or the price can be determined through analysis of confidential investor demand data, compiled by the bookrunner. That process is known as book building. Historically, some IPOs both globally and in the United States have been underpriced. The effect of "initial underpricing" an IPO is to generate additional interest in the stock when it first becomes publicly traded. Flipping, or quickly selling shares for a profit, can lead to significant gains for investors who have been allocated shares of the IPO at the offering price. However, underpricing an IPO results in lost potential capital for the issuer. One extreme example is theglobe.com IPO which helped fuel the IPO "mania" of the late 90's internet era. Underwritten by Bear Stearns on November 13, 1998, the IPO was priced at $9 per share. The share price quickly increased 1000% after the opening of trading, to a high of $97. Selling pressure from institutional flipping eventually drove the stock back down, and it closed the day at $63. Although the company did raise about $30 million from the offering it is estimated that with the level of demand for the offering and the volume of trading that took place the company might have left upwards of $200 million on the table.

The danger of overpricing is also an important consideration. If a stock is offered to the public at a higher price than the market will pay, the underwriters may have trouble meeting their commitments to sell shares. Even if they sell all of the issued shares, the stock may fall in value on the first day of trading. If so, the stock may lose its marketability and hence even more of its value. This could result in losses for investors, many of whom being the most favored clients of the underwriters. Underwriters, therefore, take many factors into consideration when pricing an IPO, and attempt to reach an offering price that is low enough to stimulate interest in the stock, but high enough to raise an adequate amount of capital for the company. The process of determining an optimal price usually involves the underwriters ("syndicate") arranging share purchase commitments from leading institutional investors. Some researchers (e.g. Geoffrey C., and C. Swift, 2009) believe that the underpricing of IPOs is less a deliberate act on the part of issuers and/or underwriters, than the result of an over-reaction on the part of investors (Friesen & Swift, 2009). One potential method for determining underpricing is through the use of IPO Underpricing Algorithms.