Just one year after spinning off from EBay, Skype has filed the initial paperwork with the SEC for an first public offering. Though industry watchers have long expected this IPO, there were some surprising numbers within the filings. Users are hoping that the newly-complicated structure behind Skype will not impact the service they love.
Financial status revealed in Skype IPO paperwork
There is an estimate that the Skype IPO could be worth $ 100 million or more. Some analysts are very worried about the income and revenue unveiled in the SEC filings. Skype reports $ 406 million in revenue in just the last six months. The net income of the business, though, was only $ 13 million. A 3 percent net margin means that Skype is not growing easily, though it is growing. Only about 9 percent of Skype users actually pay for the service, though they average $ 96 per year.
Skype’s new ownership structure
Once the Skype IPO is completed, the ownership structure can be fairly difficult. The business is situated in Luxemborg, but they’re offering shares in the business in American stocks. Private investors and employees are both going to be considered owners of the business as well. These three owners can be over Skype S.A., which will issue the stocks. These stocks will be part Skype Global Holdco, part Skype Global. Two businesses – Skype, Inc. and Springboard Finance, L.L.C. can be owned by these companies. 13 operating companies, including Skype Sweden and Skype Europe, will be operated by Springboard Finance, L.L.C..
How the Skype IPO might change things
This initial public offering of Skype stock is being used to raise operating funds. Offering stocks can, at times, fundamentally change a business. 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.
