Facebook Inc. - Initial Public Offering

Facebook Inc. filed for an initial public offering on Wednesday that could value the social network between $75-100 billion, putting the company on track for one of the biggest U.S. stock-market debuts of all time.

The company hopes to raise as much as $10 billion when it begins selling shares this spring.

Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are expected to lead the offering. The next tier of managers includes Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital and Allen & Co.

I think it is is unlikely that any clients of any firms other than those listed above will be able to participate in the IPO. 

If you are looking to to invest in Facebook, you will have to do so in the after market.  The question is, with so much investor demand, what is the best strategy? If you have a specific interest in Facebook, do you buy at the market open on the first day of trading, or wait a few days for the stock to settle a bit? Some IPOs spike in price, then retract very quickly. 

Buying Facebook at the IPO is in my view suitable for speculative investors -- if you elect to invest you should do so with "Fun Money".