A public offering is an invitation to participate in a debt or equity offering that extends to the public. In the US, a public offering must comply with an extensive set of securities law and associated SEC rules. Moreover, additional laws governing a public offering exist at the state level. In contrast to a public offering, a more limited offering or an investment opportunity is known as a private placement. Like the public offering, a private placement is ordinarily regulated by securities law, but some exceptions are made for the accredited investor. In the equity markets, when a company goes public, the first public offering of stock is known as an initial public offering, or IPO. Following the initial public offering, a company's stock is publicly traded, generally on a stock exchange. The IPO is certainly the most glamorous and closely followed type of public offering.
Para su conveniencia, debajo del texto en español le brindamos la versión completa de este formulario en inglés. For your convenience, the complete English version of this form is attached below the Spanish version.