Just one year after spinning off from EBay, Skype has filed the original paperwork with the SEC for an first public offering. The Skype IPO has been long expected, though some surprising numbers were exposed within the filings. After the IPO, the ownership structure of Skype could be complicated — though users are hoping that Skype will keep the free of charge services it has become well-known for.
Skype IPO filings reveal financial health
The Skype IPO is proposed at a value of about $ 100 million. Some analysts are very worried about the income and revenue revealed in the SEC filings. Skype reports $ 406 million in revenue in just the last six months. Skype reported its net income at $ 13 million . With a 3 percent net margin, the business isn’t really exactly growing easily. The nine percent of users that really pay for the Skype service pay an average of $ 96 every year.
Skype’s new ownership structure
Once the Skype IPO is completed, the ownership structure can be fairly intricate. The business is situated in Luxemborg, though it is offering American shares. Stock holders, employees, and private investors will all be considered company owners. These 3 owners will be over Skype S.A., which will issue the stocks. This business will own somewhat equal parts Skype Global Holdco and Skype Global. Two corporations – Skype, Inc. and Springboard Finance, L.L.C. could be owned by these companies. 13 operating businesses, including Skype Sweden and Skype Europe, could be operated by Springboard Finance, L.L.C..
Expected changes following the Skype IPO
This first public offering of Skype stock is getting used to raise operating funds. In the end, though, offering stock can fundamentally change the goals of a company. The iPhone application is proving popular, and Skype is already making deals with numerous wireless carriers. The IPO date is not yet for certain, so the service’s users will have to just wait and see what happens.
