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Technology Stocks : E*TRADE IPO ALERT THREAD -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DebtBomb who wrote (2349)	5/12/1999 8:24:00 AM
From: Shadowed	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 15145

FYI on upcoming IPO WebMD... E*Trade is an underwriter for this offering scheduled week of May 24: SEATTLE, May 11 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. is in negotiations to buy a significant stake in WebMD Inc., which operates an Internet site for health-care professionals and consumers, according to a source familiar with the deal. Officials of Microsoft and WebMD declined to comment on reports of the deal, which first surfaced last month. According to reports, Microsoft wants to buy up to 27 percent of WebMD for $300 million or more before the Atlanta-based company's initial public offering, expected within the next several months. WebMD launched operations last October but already has attracted an impressive list of investors and distribution partners, including chemical and pharmaceuticals giant DuPont Co., which has committed $220 million over five years. WebMD offers a subscription-based service for doctors and other health care professionals intended to provide a single-point Web-based solution to common administrative, communcations and research tasks. For consumers the site offers information and discussion forums on health-related topics. Such industry-specific "vertical portals" are likely to become increasingly important as the Internet continues to grow and users seek quicker points of access to information than provided by the major portal sites, analysts say. "There is going to be a great opportunity for specialized Web sites that can carve out niches aligned with specific communities or industries," said Dwight Davis, an analyst with Summit Strategies. "They will be important supplements for the big global portal sites." REUTERS