Demand Media Gives IPO Pricing Range

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Online publishing firm Demand Media said that it could raise about $130 million for itself and its shareholders in an upcoming initial public offering, according to a Wednesday regulatory filing.

The Santa Monica company, which runs a network of content-focused sites such as LiveStrong and eHow, said in an S-1 filing that a total 7.5 million shares of stock will be offered, which it expects will price between $14 and $16 per share. Demand itself expects to get about $58 million in net proceeds from the 4.5 million shares it will offer, with the remaining shares coming from insiders and other shareholders. The filing did not set a date for the IPO.

Underwriters, which include Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, will have the option to purchase roughly 1.13 million additional shares from the company or selling shareholders to cover any overallotments, Demand said. If all the stock and the overallotments were sold at $16, it would total $138 million.

There was much speculation last month about when Demand Media would launch the IPO after the company disclosed that regulators wanted more information on the company’s accounting practices. Instead of recognizing payments up front to its roughly 13,000 freelance content providers, for example, the company spreads out those costs over five years, which can boost its bottom line each quarter. The company, arguing that the “evergreen” content can generate revenue over several years, said it would continue that practice but regularly review the “operating performance of content published.”

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