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The day has finally arrived for those hoping to get in on shares of crypto and stock trading firm eToro Group Ltd. The fintech company is holing its initial public offering, with its shares expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Wednesday after a monthslong delay. Heres what you need to know about eToros IPO. What is eToro? eToro is a brokerage company. The fintech firms official name is eToro Group Ltd., and it offers a trading platform for people to buy and sell stocks, cryptocurrencies, and other assets. In the financial services space, eToros more traditional competitors are the likes of Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and Vanguard. However, because eToro is a digital-first company, it more closely resembles other digital-first trading platforms like Robinhood. But eToro has some differentiating features that set it apart from other trading platforms. The platform is perhaps most well-known for its CopyTrader feature, which allows eToro users to follow other traders and mimic their trades. The idea behind this feature is that it could help novice traders invest more successfully by replicating the moves of more seasoned investors. Despite going public now, eToro has actually been around for a while. The company was originally founded in 2007. It is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, and has offices around the globe. eToro has a long history of attempted public offerings Today is the first time that eToro has gone public, but its not the first time the company has tried to. As noted by CNBC, the company originally tried to go public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in 2022. SPACs were all the rage in the early pandemic years, but by 2022, they had started to wane as equity markets took a fall. Then in March of this year, eToro announced its intention to go public againthis time via a traditional initial public offering (IPO). While eToro at the time did not give a date for its IPO, it was assumed that it would happen relatively quickly. But eToros IPO announcement at the end of March couldnt have been more badly timed. It was announced little more than a week before President Donald Trump announced his disastrous Liberation Day tariffs, which sent stock markets around the world tumbling. In April, eToro chose to delay its IPO. However, in early May, as Trumps trade war stance had begun to soften, Bloomberg reported that eToro was once again on the cusp of launching its IPO. And now it’s doing just that. eToro by the numbers On May 5, eToro filed an updated Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This form is little changed from the earlier F-1 the company filed in March. In the F-1, eToro reported the following metrics as of December 31, 2024: A global footprint that spreads across 75 countries. Approximately 3.5 million Funded Accounts. Net Contribution of $787 million (up 41% from $557 million in 2023). Total Commission of $931 million (up 46% from $639 million in 2023). Net income of $192 million (up 1,161% from $15 million in 2023). Adjusted EBITDA of $304 million (up 159% from $187 million in 2023). As noted by CNBC, eToro makes its money by charging fees on associated trading transactions, including buy and sell orders, withdrawals, and currency conversions. When is eToros IPO? eToros priced its shares on Tuesday. It is expected to begin publicly trading today (Wednesday, May 14, 2025). What is eToros stock ticker? eToros stock ticker is ETOR. What exchange will eToro shares trade on? eToro shares will trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. What is the IPO share price of ETOR? The IPO price of ETOR shares is $52, according to a company press release. This exceeds the high end that eToro originally said it was going to sell its shares for. In its F-1 filing, the company said it had planned to sell its shares between $46 and $50 apiece. The higher IPO price suggests that eToro believes there is more substantial demand for its shares than originally thought. How many ETOR shares are available in its IPO? In total, eToros IPO offered 11,923,018 Class A common shares for sale. Nearly six million shares were sold directly by eToro, with most sold by existing eToro shareholders. How much did eToro raise in its IPO? Though roughly 11.9 million shares were available under eToros IPO, the company will not receive the proceeds for half of them, because existing private shareholders are selling those shares. That leaves 5,961,509 from which eToro profited. Selling those 5.9 million shares for $52 each netted eToro around $310 million. How much is eToro worth? At its $52 IPO price, CNBC says eToro now has a market cap of approximately $4.2 billion.
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E-Commerce
The hottest parties right now are happening in the metaverse. VRChat, a video-game-like social platform hosted in virtual reality, saw more than 130,000 people in attendance on New Years Day 2025, according to a VR culture blog. Before 2020, VRChat had hardly seen more than 20,000 concurrent users, according to Wired. While virtual clubbing began in the early 2000s on platforms like Second Life, VRChat, and AltspaceVR, the COVID-19 lockdowns brought a new wave of virtual ravers as traditional nightclubs closed and people looked for online alternatives. Today, VR clubbers line up each week for dozens of fully immersive virtual parties hosted across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Thanks to major advances in motion tracking, haptic suits, and customizable avatars, people can now dance to popular DJ sets and socializeall without leaving their homes. Aside from the up-front hardware cost, events are free. But, like popular in-person clubs, there are often long lines for the most in-demand virtual nights, which are usually limited to around 80 guests due to software constraints. VR clubbing carries its own risks. Psychiatrists and ER doctors have reported some attendees going on digital benders, partying to the point of total exhaustion, according to Psychology Today. One partier told Wired hes had friends hospitalized after binge-drinking on VRChat. Another said he partied for nearly 12 nights straight last Augustwithout once stepping outside his apartment. Still, virtual partying has its perks. If the musics too loud, you can just turn it down. Ready to go home? No need to worry about Ubers or navigating public transport at 3 a.m. Personal safety and harassment are also less of a concern. Wired spoke to a trans woman from rural Ohio who described VRChat as offering a safer environment than a real-life club setting, adding, the music is better than at the clubs in Ohio. In the article’s comments, a middle-aged IT manager shared how she and her fiancé, who met in VRChat, now spend their weekends dancing in VR instead of going out, noting, At the end of the night we just take off the headsets and go to bed.
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E-Commerce
REI has long enjoyed a reputation as a progressive company that promises strong benefits and promotes a culture of inclusion and sustainability. As a consumer cooperative, the outdoor retailer has also eschewed a typical corporate structure. But in recent years, against the backdrop of a union drive, some workers have described a culture at odds with REI’s purported values. Despite successful union efforts at 11 of its 180 total stores, REI workers have not managed to successfully negotiate a contract with the company. The National Labor Relations Board is also currently looking into dozens of unfair labor practice charges brought by workers. Last week, REI members voted against the company’s slate of board candidates, following a union campaign urging them to protest that REI did not allow labor-backed candidates on the ballot. A new report from the National Employment Law Project finds that many REI workers say they have encountered discrimination on the job. In a survey of 219 workers across 10 unionized stores, nearly half47%said they had witnessed or experienced some kind of racial discrimination. Among workers of color, one in five said they had personally faced discrimination at the company. In a statement to Fast Company, REI said the following: “Discrimination has no place at REI. The safety, well-being, and inclusion of our 15,000 employees are non-negotiable priorities for our co-op. We take any concerns about our work environment seriously, including those expressed by the 219 survey respondents. REI has strong policies, procedures and resources in place to help prevent bias and foster a workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.” REI’s own accounting of its demographics indicates the company has struggled to attract and retain Black and Latino workers. In its 2023 Impact Report, the company said 3.3% of its retail workforce was Black, while 9.6% identified as Hispanic and 6% as multiracial. REI acknowledged that the company was “not as racially diverse as the communities we serve.” Many workers surveyed by NELP also claimed that the company’s DEI strategy had been noticeably pared back since 2021, and that REI’s commitment to conducting racial equity trainings and investing in other initiatives to promote inclusion had wavered. (The company had brought on a chief diversity and social impact officer in 2021 but reportedly eliminated her position when she departed in 2023.) “Diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational to who we are as a co-op, and we recognize that building a truly inclusive business is an ongoing journey,” REI added in its statement to Fast Company. “We remain committed to learning, improving, and driving meaningful progress. Our goal is to ensure that every employee feels valued, respected, and able to bring their whole self to workevery single day.” The workers surveyed by NELP suggested that one reason REI has struggled to maintain a more diverse workforce is because people of color were more likely to be disciplined or pushed out of their jobs. Over 30% of workers of color alleged they had witnessed or experienced racial discrimination in layoffsand REI’s own data on termination rates in 2022 showed higher rates of termination among employees of color and especially Black workers. Many workers of color (29%) also claimed to have seen or personally faced discrimination in the company’s promotion practices. While employees have reported decreased staffing across the company following a reorganization in 2023, workers of color were much more likely to be scheduled for shorter shifts or fewer hours per week. According to the NELP report, 64% of REI’s workers of color logged fewer than 20 hours a week on average, as compared to 38% of their white counterparts. Over half of workers of color also said they want to work more hours, while only 41% of white workers said the same. Workers also expressed concerns over other types of workplace discrimination: They recounted instances of alleged gender bias, discrimination against transgender workers, and issues with accommodations for workers with disabilities. Fewer than one in 10 workers told NELP they believed REI took adequate action in response to discrimination, whether racial in nature or otherwise. Amid ongoing negotiations over a union contract, some employees also allege they have faced retaliation for speaking out about their working conditions and taking protected actions like walking out on the jobclaims that are in line with reports that the company has taken a strong position against unionizing efforts. Perhaps most notably, however, a majority of workers surveyed believe that REI is no longer living up to its reputation as a progressive employerwith 64% of them saying it is becoming a worse place to work.
Category:
E-Commerce
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