Game engine developer Unity Software ($U) went public on the New York Stock Exchange Friday. The San Francisco-based company's cross-platform gaming engine has fueled a boom in 3D game development, with a focus on mobile games and virtual reality content.
The company offered up 25 million shares and trading began at $75 per share as the market opened, up from its $52 initial listing price. The pop brought the company's market cap as high as $20 billion, closer to big-league game developers such as EA and Nintendo, although share price edged lower to $68 by the close of the trading day.
Unity says it isn't looking to be pigeon-holed in the gaming industry. As investors scramble to put money into tech stocks, the company is making the case that it spans multiple industries.
"We are in the gaming industry, but we're also in a lot of other industries," CFO Kimberly Jabal told Cheddar. "We have empowered creators. We've democratized game development, but we're not actually a gaming company. We're a technology company."
Jabal said Unity is creating solutions for all types of real-time 3D developers, not just gamers.
"We help them to design and to build their applications," she said. "Then we help them monetize and to operate and to grow their customer base."
Unity is also extending the benefits of the IPO to its employees by allowing them to sell 15 percent of their shares on the first day of trading, rather than after 180 days as is usually stipulated in public offerings.
"We wanted them to be able to sell right away," Jabal said. "They've been working hard, some of them for 15 years."
John Honchariw, CEO and founder of Companion, joined Cheddar News to discuss the first innovative device solely designed to entertain, engage and have fun with your dog all day long. "What we aspire to as a company is to be a supplement to the relationship you have with your dog," he said.
Gusto, which provides cloud-based payroll benefits and HR management software, released its new graduates report with insights into the top industries and regions for this key demographic. Luke Pardue, economist at Gusto, joined Cheddar News to discuss the report's findings and dissect job prospects.
Sam Burns, chief strategist at Mill Street Research, joined Cheddar News to discuss a volatile trading week on Wall Street as the debt ceiling debate continues ahead of the June 1 deadline.
Elon Musk confirmed that former NBC ad executive Linda Yaccarino will be Twitter's next chief executive while Musk will serve as chief technology officer and executive chair. Cheddar News breaks down the new moves.
The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
McDonald’s and a franchise holder are at fault after a hot Chicken McNugget from a Happy Meal fell on a little girl's leg and caused second-degree burns.
