Internet, Facebook Ipo | featured news

Facebook is set to file a motion to consolidate all the shareholder lawsuits against the social network site, and is expected to place some blame on the Nasdaq for its botched IPO when it files the motion, the New York Times reported Thursday.

It’s been over three weeks since Facebook launched its $16 billion IPO, and as you’ve heard by now, it’s belly flopping on the NASDAQ. Wall Street and Silicon Valley VCs are in an uproar over the company's 30-percent stock decline and $25 share value, with some shareholders already looking to recoup their loses by suing CEO Mark Zuckerberg for withholding info on the company’s true value during its public outing.

Facebook’s post-IPO performance has been poor. But is it so poor that it will hurt the prospects for other startups? The short answer: Almost certainly.

Although many investors had hoped for a big first-day pop, Facebook's stock opened on May 18 at $42.05 and fluctuated between $45 and $38 throughout the day. It closed barely above its IPO price, at $38.23. Since the IPO, the stock has been down on seven trading days and up on four. Facebook's stock price has gone as low as $26.44 since the IPO.

Kayak Software Corp. slowed its march to the stock market in one of the clearest examples yet of the fallout from Facebook Inc.'s tumultuous initial public offering.

Facebook's stock has fallen below $30 for the first time since its much-awaited public debut this month.

Independent analysts have issued price targets ranging from below $25 a share to nearly $50, while bloggers, day traders and others have trotted out valuations that pin Facebook as low as $6 a share. At $38 a pop, nobody liked Facebook.

Two top U.S. financial regulators said on Tuesday the issues around the initial public offering of Facebook should be reviewed, putting fresh pressure on the company, its lead underwriter, Morgan Stanley, and the Nasdaq stock exchange.

Facebook's stock was down more than 10 percent on Monday morning, to around $34 a share.

Facebook shares struggled to stay above their $38 IPO price, as Wall Street bankers stepped in to prevent the newly minted stock from ending its first day with an embarrassing loss.