oversubscription


Oversubscription

The excess number of shares or bonds that investors want to buy but are not available due to high demand.

Oversubscription

A situation in which investors show so much interest in a new issue of a security that demand exceeds supply. Before a new issue, underwriters canvass potential investors, who may or may not book an order to buy a portion the new issue. If investors order more shares than there are shares being issued, the security is said to be oversubscribed. This may affect the price when the security is actually issued.

oversubscription

a situation in which the number of SHARES applied for in a new SHARE ISSUE exceeds the numbers to be issued. This requires the ISSUING HOUSE responsible for handling the share issue to devise some formula for allocating the shares. By contrast, undersubscription occurs when the number of shares applied for falls short of the number on offer, requiring the issuing house which has underwritten the shares to buy the surplus shares itself See CALLED-UP CAPITAL, PAID-UP CAPITAL.

oversubscription

a situation in which the number of SHARES applied for in a new SHARE ISSUE exceeds the numbers to be issued. This requires the ISSUING HOUSE responsible for handling the share issue to devise some formula for allocating the shares. By contrast, undersubscription occurs when the number of shares applied for falls short of the number on offer, requiring the issuing house that has underwritten the shares to buy the surplus shares itself. See CAPITAL MARKET.