Get All Access for $5/mo

Is Slack Really Worth $20 Billion? The office collaboration company's stock fell on its second trading day.

By Matthew McCreary

Drew Angerer | Getty Images

Slack shares opened at $38.50 on Thursday, the company's first day of trading, up 48 percent from a $26 reference price Wednesday. That massive win gave the San Francisco-based tech startup a $19.5 billion valuation, almost triple its private valuation of $7.1 billion. That seems like a high number, considering that Slack itself estimated the market for its industry (workplace collaboration services) at $28 billion in its offering paperwork.

Friday saw the startup fall back to earth, as Slack stock fell 3.63 percent to 37.22. However, the true question about Slack's value won't be determined in its first week of trading (just as Uber's fate wasn't decided by a disastrous IPO).

The Entrepreneur Index™ as a whole was down slightly, falling 0.13 percent as Amazon, Comcast and Adobe Inc. saw losses on the day. The biggest declines on the day came from D.R. Horton (-2.28 percent), Boston Properties (-1.9 percent) and FedEx Corp. (-1.89 percent).

On the other side, Alexion Pharmaceuticals rose by 2.83 percent Victoria's Secret parent company L Brands rose by 2.8 percent on Friday followed by two clothing companies in Victoria's Secret parent company L Brands (2.8 percent) and Ralph Lauren Corp. (2.47 percent).

Related: Stock Market Hits New High Thanks to Fed Policy Shift

The Entrepreneur Index™ collects the top 60 publicly traded companies founded and run by entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial spirit is a valuable asset for any business, and this index recognizes its importance, no matter how much a company has grown. These inspirational businesses can be tracked in real time on Entrepreneur.com.

Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Marketing

5 SEO Hacks to Help You Rank Fast

Discover the best SEO hacks you can use to rank fast and avoid waiting for months to see results.

Starting a Business

Inside the Exclusive Private Club Devoted to Food, Wine and the Arts

Barrett Wissman breaks down the passions and partnerships behind his latest venture Domus Artium Reserve.

Business News

Elon Musk Threatens to Ban Employees from Using Apple Products, Says Will Lock Devices in 'Cages'

The Tesla founder sounded off on X following Apple's 2024 Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday.

Collaboration

Watch Out for These 5 Consequences of Too Much Collaboration

Beware of the collaboration trap! Too much collaboration causes overload, and well-intentioned efforts to have broad collaboration can backfire.

Science & Technology

Why We Shouldn't Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

Facing resistance to new technologies in the educational process is nothing new, and AI is no exception. Yet, this powerful tool is set to overcome these challenges and revolutionize education, preparing students and professionals for a future of unparalleled efficiency and personalized learning.