May 18 (Reuters) – Investors are bracing for Facebook’s
Wall Street debut on Friday after the pioneering online
social network raised about $16 billion in one of the biggest
initial public offerings in U.S. history.

To rapturous applause from employees, Facebook Chief
Executive Mark Zuckerberg rang the bell to kick off trading on
the Nasdaq market at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters
at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time.

May 18 (Reuters) – Investors are bracing for Facebook’s
Wall Street debut on Friday after the world’s No.1 online
social network raised about $16 billion in one of the biggest
initial public offerings in U.S. history.

Valued at $104 billion, Facebook is larger than Starbucks
Corp and Hewlett-Packard combined, sparking
intense speculation on how much higher its valuation will rise
once shares start trading.

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Facebook Inc is set to raise up to $18.4 billion in its IPO and become the first U.S. company to be worth more than $100 billion at its debut, as investors bet on a big pop in the stock when it begins trading on the Nasdaq on Friday.

Frenzied demand, especially from individual investors hoping to buy into an Internet juggernaut that touches hundreds of millions of people every day, is expected to drive Facebook well above its initial public offering price of $38 a share, which was already at the top end of its target of $34 to $38.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc increased the size of its initial public offering by almost 25 percent, and could raise as much as $16 billion (10 billion pounds) as strong investor demand for a share of the No.1 social network trumps debate about its long-term potential to make money.

Facebook, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room, said on Wednesday it will add about 84 million shares to its IPO, floating about 421 million shares in an offering expected to be priced on Thursday.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 (Reuters) – Facebook Inc
will increase the size of its initial public offering by
25 percent, a source familiar with the matter said, and could
raise as much as $16 billion as strong investor demand for a
share of the No.1 social network trumps debate about the
company’s long-term potential to make money.

Those concerns over revenue growth were underscored earlier
on Tuesday, when General Motors said it planned to pull
out of advertising on Facebook.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc will increase the size of its initial public offering by 25 percent to raise about $15 billion, a source familiar with the matter said, as strong investor demand for a share of the No.1 social network trumped ongoing debate about the company’s long-term potential to make money.

Facebook, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room, will add about 85 million shares to its IPO, floating about 422 million shares in an offering expected on Friday, the source told Reuters on Tuesday, declining to be identified because the information was confidential.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 (Reuters) – Facebook Inc
(FB.O: Quote, Profile, Research) increased the price range on its initial public offering
an average of 14 percent to raise more than $12 billion, giving
the world’s No. 1 social network a valuation potentially
exceeding $100 billion.

The company, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a
Harvard dorm room, raised the target range to between $34 and
$38 per share in response to strong demand, from $28 to $35,
according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission on Tuesday.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 (Reuters) – Facebook Inc
(FB.O: Quote, Profile, Research) increased the price range on its initial public offering
an average of 14 percent to raise more than $12 billion, giving
the world’s No. 1 social network a valuation potentially
exceeding $100 billion.

The company, founded eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg in a
Harvard dorm room, raised the target range to between $34 and
$38 per share in response to strong demand, from $28 to $35,
according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission on Tuesday.

DETROIT/SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 (Reuters) – General Motors Co
said on Tuesday it will stop advertising on Facebook,
even as the social networking website prepares to go public.

While GM gave no specific reason for dropping Facebook ads,
a source familiar with the automaker’s plans said the company’s
marketing executives decided Facebook’s ads had little impact on
consumers.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc boosted the price range on its initial public offering by about 14 percent, as investors’ appetite for the No. 1 social network seemed to trump ongoing questions about its long-term potential to make money.

The price range, which could value Facebook at more than $100 billion, was raised a day before General Motors said it planned to pull out of advertising on Facebook, underscoring worries about slowing revenue growth.