Facebook’s initial public offering price in 2012 was $38 per share.
Facebook began trading publicly on May 18, 2012, after underwriters set the offering price at the top of the company’s revised target range. The $38 price valued Facebook at approximately $104 billion, making it the largest valuation for a newly public company at that time. Strong investor demand also led Facebook to increase the number of shares offered by 25 percent shortly before the IPO.
The first trading day created confusion because the stock briefly reached about $45, then struggled to remain above the offering price. Technical problems delayed trading on Nasdaq, and underwriters bought shares to help support the price. Facebook ultimately closed its first day at $38.23—only 23 cents above the IPO price.
The offering raised roughly $16 billion, but the stock soon fell below $38, closing at $34.03 on the second trading day. Therefore, $45 was an early market price, not the IPO price; $42 and $34 were also incorrect.