Saturday, October 18, 2008

Rosetta Stone IPO

While doing some investment research, I came across a filing by none other than Rosetta Stone. Apparently they are looking to go public. The process could take several months so I don't think a Rosetta Stone stock is imminent just yet. This does shed some light on some of Rosetta Stones actions in recent months - pulling software out of public libraries, high profile projects like the Michael Phelps commercial etc. I guess they are gearing up for their IPO.

But, it seems like a strange time for an IPO. The IPO market is dry as a bone and it's a terrible investing climate. Not to mention strange timing for Rosetta Stone itself. They state right in their filing that a large percentage of their sales come during the holiday season. This is expected to be one of the weakest holiday seasons in decades. It's a little risky right now. They are in the right market and have the right products for long-term growth, but keep a close eye on this before you buy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ron,
From their "About us" page:
In 2006, the company was sold to investment firms ABS Capital Partners and Norwest Equity Partners, and was renamed after our signature product.

Seems those VC companies are ready to cash out and hoping for some investors that an upswing in the economy would bring.

Jack said...

Hey Ron,
Looks like Rosetta IPO'd yesterday - and sounds like it was pretty successful. See this post on the Global Watchtower: http://www.globalwatchtower.com/2009/04/21/rosetta-ipo/