Skype has officially filed the SEC paperwork that is the beginning of an initial public offering. The Skype IPO has been long expected, though some surprising numbers were uncovered in the filings. Users are hoping that the newly-complicated structure behind Skype will not impact the service they love.
Financial health revealed in Skype IPO paperwork
The IPO of Skype is expected to be worth $ 100 million or more. The revenue and income within the Skype SEC filings worry some analysts. In just the last six months, the business reports $ 406 million in revenue. The net income of the company, though, was only $ 13 million. All together, Skype reports a 3 percent net margin. The nine percent of users that pay for the service pay an average of $ 96 per year.
Skype’s new ownership structure
Once the Skype IPO is completed, the ownership structure could be somewhat intricate. The business is located in Luxemborg, though it is offering American shares. Private investors and employees are both going to be considered owners of the company also. These three owners will be over Skype S.A., which will issue the stocks. This company will own somewhat equal parts Skype Global Holdco and Skype Global. These holding corporations will be split into Skype, Inc. and Springboard Finance, L.L.C. Springboard Finance, L.L.C., will own and operate 13 operating corporations like Skype Software and Skype Sweden .
Possible changes following the Skype IPO
This first public offering of Skype stock is getting used to raise operating funds. Some corporations can be faced with fundamental changes after an IPO, though. The iPhone application is proving popular, and Skype is already making deals with numerous wireless carriers. Skype’s 500 million users will end up having to wait and see what effect the IPO has, because not even the IPO date is known for certain.
