What is an initial public offering (IPO)?

An initial public offering (IPO) refers to the process of offering new shares of a private company to the public on a stock exchange market. The purpose of issuing new shares is to raise funding. After an IPO, the private company becomes a listed company on the stock exchange where the shares were issued. In Malaysia, there are 3 stock exchange markets under Bursa Malaysia; Main market, ACE market and LEAP market.