Going Private

A transaction or a series of transactions that convert a publicly traded company into a private entity. Once a company goes private, its shareholders are no longer able to trade their stocks in the open market. Private equity firms will typically purchase a struggling company, make it into a private entity, reorganize its capital structure, and issue stocks once a profit can be realized.

Taobiz explains Going Private

A company typically goes private when its stakeholders decide that there are no longer significant benefits to be garnered as a public company. Privatization will usually arise either when a company's management wants to buy out the public shareholders and take the company private (a management buyout), or when a company or inpidual makes a tender offer to buy most or all of the company's stock. Going private transactions generally involve a significant amount of debt.

Companies are often taken private when they need time to restructure their debt or operations prior to becoming a public corporation once again.