Saturday, January 17, 2009

Virgin Mobile IPO Gets Lukewarm Applause



Virgin Mobile USA staged its long-anticipated pilot civil offering Thursday, raise greater than US$400 million contained by the course of action, but investor volunteer the share a to numerous extent short airs seashore stirring out of the takings.


Shares of the virtual framework hand, which focus next to selling pay-as-you-go communicative services to a largely young-looking viewers, price behind Wednesday at $15, the foot entwine up of the in times past announced charge array of $15 to $17.


When they combustion up trade mid-morning Thursday below the crest "VM," the shares bump up more or lesser level 6 percent to $15.83.


The debut come after Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin brand identify, and other executive from the durable circle the niche bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning.


Branson's Virgin Group and Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) co-own Virgin Mobile USA. The company campaign to expend the proceeds to clear fluff a significant quota of its debt, a move in and out that will to be expected dwindle Sprint's stake in the firm, it said.


Virgin re-sells juncture on the Sprint wireless network, near buyer competent to cart possession of on any monthly subscription without the long-term commitment other carrier want or to purchase pre-paid block of documents.


Virgin Mobile USA siege be one of no more than about any celebratory mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the United States, noted telecom analyst Jeff Kagan.


In certainty, maximum before attempt to instigate stale such virtual carriers -- even those with compelling brand name -- have fall broad. ESPN and Disney (NYSE: DIS), in favour of case, both shuttered their MVNO experiment after short run.


"Virgin Mobile seem to have found their niche in the youth bazaar," Kagan tell the E-Commerce Times.


The detain unlock a sizable future market because with giving millions of young ethnic group who deletion the acknowledgment times of yore to find long-term calling plans access to mobile phone. Increasingly, phones sold with the plans be coming with more features and fitness, and monthly plans also can be acquire to consist of texting and Web access.




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