What happened with NetSuite today?
Larry Ellison's likely too busy counting all the money he made today to ask this question, but we will: Why did NetSuite's shares rocket upwards in the final hours of trading today? The company went public with a Dutch auction, a process meant to get the best and fairest price for the company shares. This morning, it seemed like it had gone off flawlessly: The stock opened at $26, the auction-set price, and traded near there all morning. Then it suddenly raced upwards to close at $35.50, making the whole company worth $2.1 billion, and Ellison's stake $1.3 billion.
One theory: Avaricious day traders, hoping that the stock might drop from its IPO price, may have sold it short. As the price slowly rose, they would have found themselves losing money, a position known as a "short squeeze." To get out, they'd have to buy shares of a thinly traded stock, in a rising market — a formula guaranteed to push shares sky-high. Note that NetSuite only sold 6.2 million shared on the market, but 15.9 million shares changed hands today. That's a lot of buying and selling. Any other theories? Let me know.