WebProNews

As Google's IPO shares prepare to be sold for the first time, the opening price has been finalized at $85 a share. Yesterday, it was reported that Google was lowering the price and reducing the amount of shares that would be available to the public.

Today at 9:30am, Google stock will finally be available to the public. The search engine is being traded under the symbol GOOG. As the bell sounds to begin the trading day, it also marks the end of an eventful journey for Google.

Since announcing their intention to go public, the search engine has had a bumpy trip consisting of lawsuits from trademark issues and former employees. They have seen their email service go through serious scrutiny over privacy issues, resulting in a California Senator drafting legislature to limit some of the methods Google uses in the operating Gmail, just to name a few.

However, today marks the end of the one journey for Google, while beginning another as a publicly owned search engine. The IPO is expected to raise an estimated $1.67 billion for the company.

Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest search news.