(Image Source: Groupon)

BY ADAM FALK

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

Drop the vowels. Groupon goes public Friday, trading under the ticker GRPN. Fox News has more on the coupon company’s trading stats.

“$13 billion, that’s how much Groupon will be worth when it goes public today. The bargain website says it will charge $20 a share in its initial public offering.”

But then in early morning trading Groupon shares increased another 40% to $28. The bargain king is the biggest Internet IPO since Google, the company Groupon famously rejected. Many expected the number to land around $16 to $18 per share. So, is the IPO a discount?  Or marked-up madness? A writer for The Washington Post says don’t buy.

“Groupon is living on borrowed time. When I offer people half-priced massages, they contact the local authorities and prevent me from getting too close to parks. When Groupon does this, they value it highly and give it a giant IPO.”

Since the deals-dealer filed back in June, there have been concerns over the company’s stability. In August,  Groupon corrected an error that cut its sales figures in half. Despite those missteps, CNET points out...

“...Groupon pioneered the daily deals category just three years ago and remains the frontrunner despite hundreds of copy-cat companies that have cropped up.”

Reports say Groupon will sell an additional 5 million shares, on top of the 30 million it has initially planned. CNBC talks to an investor who has already asked for a small allocation.

“We don’t look at a company on what it’s trading at today. We look at a company on how far, how much we think they are going to grow over 4 or 5 years. [FLASH] So Groupon has the potential to really change the way local commerce is being done. They’re the leader today. Will the remain the leader? I’m not sure. If they are successful, the company will be worth many many times what it’s worth today.”

The New York Times Dealbook says Friday is not only important for Groupon, it’s key for the broader tech industry.

“If shares of the technology company see a significant pop on the first day, it could set the stage for another strong wave of Internet-related I.P.O.’s for companies like Zynga and Facebook, both of which are expected to sell shares in the next 12 months. Should the Groupon share price fizzle, it could dampen enthusiasm for the broad sector.”

If Groupon is part of tech bubble 2.0, will it be this generations Google or more like Pets.com? According to the Chicago Tribune, Groupon execs are trying to draw parallels to a younger Amazon.

Transcript by Newsy.