Secondary (Follow-On) Offering

A later offering of shares after the IPO.

What is Secondary (Follow-On) Offering?

If the company sells new shares, it raises capital and dilutes existing holders. If existing holders such as founders or venture funds sell their shares, the company receives nothing and share count is unchanged - a secondary distribution.

Secondary (Follow-On) Offering: a worked example

Two years after its IPO, a company sells 5 million new shares to fund an acquisition - dilutive.

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