Facebook’s 2012 stock-market listing raised approximately $16 billion, then a record for a technology IPO.
Facebook held its initial public offering on May 18, 2012, on the Nasdaq exchange. The company priced its shares at $38 each and raised about $16 billion, giving it a market valuation of roughly $104 billion at the offering price.
The listing made Facebook one of the largest technology companies to enter public markets. Its enormous user base and advertising business generated intense investor attention, but the first trading day was affected by technical problems and the stock did not immediately deliver the dramatic rise many expected.
Facebook later changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms in 2021. The original IPO is still commonly called Facebook’s IPO, while the listed company and stock ticker now use Meta branding. The company’s market value has since been shaped by advertising, Instagram, WhatsApp, and investment in virtual and augmented reality.