The Pros and Cons of Going Public – Siemens becoming a stock company
Taking your own company public was just as big a decision then as it is now. It set the desire for investment returns in opposition to the need for autonomy. The key question was (and still is) what is more important? Business security through the possibility of easier financing through the sale of shares, but also the relinquishment of complete control, or the freedom to run your business as your ideals and goals require? And is there any way to bring the two into harmony?
Our founder Werner von Siemens must have thought about this fairly often. As early as 1867 he first considered whether to get his company listed on the stock exchange. But eventually he decided not to, so he could maintain full control of his firm. What was most important to him as an inventor and manufacturer was to apply outstanding technical innovations to generate social added value combined with the freedom to decide independently on the direction of his company. Yet at the same time, he recognized the financial added value of listed stock corporations. For instance, technical milestones like the Indo-European telegraph line of 1870 and laying the transatlantic cable in 1874 were financed by way of stock companies founded especially for the purpose.
For various reasons, in 1897, a few years after Werner von Siemens' death, his company Siemens & Halske itself was converted into a stock corporation. It was a historic turning point that proved to be worthwhile. Today, Siemens' share is doing better than ever in its history, trading at a record high of €169 per share in December 2023.
The picture shows Werner von Siemens in front of the Siemens & Halske office building in Berlin, Markgrafenstraße 94 – a historical place where important financial decisions affecting Siemens’ outcome had been made between 1852-1905.
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Find out more below:
A look into history – The first Siemens Annual Shareholders’ Meeting after WWII
https://lnkd.in/drWDrHqN
Ahead of its Time – The first Siemens & Halske Trademark
https://lnkd.in/dU4ggJBn
A Tale of Pioneering Spirit – Siemens’ one and only Airship
https://lnkd.in/dvN9ejuH
CIO Siemens Digital Industries
1moCongrats, Timo! Great news for Siemens & Altair. Looking forward to the next step in creating the most comprehensive digital twin and unlocking unique value for our customers.