Snap reportedly sets an IPO valuation
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Snapchat's parent company has reportedly set its valuation at $19.5 billion to $22.2 billion, which would mean a share price of $14 to $16, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources. This would put the company at the low end of its rumored target of $20 billion to $25 billion in valuation.
At this price, Snap's valuation could be near that of Alibaba, which was initially worth $21.8 billion when it went public in 2014 before underwriters exercised additional options, pushing it to $25 billion. Alibaba is still the biggest IPO in U.S. history.
What's next: The company is expected to disclose its preliminary valuation on Thursday in an updated SEC filing, according to the Journal. The company could price its shares as soon as March 1 and begin trading the next day. There are also still questions as to whether investors will be content with Snap's user numbers and growth enough to justify its valuation.