{"id":24744,"date":"2024-09-05T16:36:08","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T16:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/?p=24744"},"modified":"2024-10-16T19:38:32","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T19:38:32","slug":"how-to-sell-private-company-stock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-private-company-stock\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell Private Company Stock and Employee Stock Options"},"content":{"rendered":"    <div id=\"callout-box-block_49feb1b8e197ef5442c7135027fa7f76\" class=\"callout-box promo\">\n        <div class=\"callout-box__icon-wrapper\">\n            <svg focusable=\"false\" class=\"callout-box__icon promo\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                <path d=\"M21.41 11.58l-9-9C12.05 2.22 11.55 2 11 2H4c-1.1 0-2 .9-2 2v7c0 .55.22 1.05.59 1.42l9 9c.36.36.86.58 1.41.58.55 0 1.05-.22 1.41-.59l7-7c.37-.36.59-.86.59-1.41 0-.55-.23-1.06-.59-1.42zM5.5 7C4.67 7 4 6.33 4 5.5S4.67 4 5.5 4 7 4.67 7 5.5 6.33 7 5.5 7z\"><\/path>            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-box__content\"><p><b>The Best Way to Unlock the Potential of Your Stock Options\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equitybee<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">makes it easy to make the most of your stock options while remaining the sole owner. Here\u2019s what we love about Equitybee: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zero upfront costs: Exercise your options with no out-of-pocket cost <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce risk: Realize profit now, regardless of your company\u2019s future success <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your shares: You get to keep your shares, so you can earn additional profits in the future\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See for yourself why 2,200 employees from over 730 startups (and counting) have trusted Equitybee.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlock the potential of your stock options<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subject to availability\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This situation is all too common in the startup space. Many employees at startups and private companies have a significant portion of their wealth wrapped up in company stock and employee stock options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, selling stock in a private company is not as straightforward as selling shares in a publicly traded company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, I\u2019m going to show you how to sell private company stock and stock options. I\u2019ll explain the mechanics of selling private stock and give you some tips that will help you maximize your returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Ways to Sell Private Company Stock<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2.-Ways-to-Sell-Private-Company-Stock.png\" alt=\"2. Ways to Sell Private Company Stock\" class=\"wp-image-24749\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2.-Ways-to-Sell-Private-Company-Stock.png 1999w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2.-Ways-to-Sell-Private-Company-Stock-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2.-Ways-to-Sell-Private-Company-Stock-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Each method for how to sell private stock I cover below comes with its own unique pros and cons, so you\u2019ll have to decide which avenue you want to take based on your financial situation, reasons for selling, and the company\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll start with the easiest methods before moving on to the more interesting ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Sell Shares Back to the Company<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Arguably the easiest way to sell private company stock is to sell it back to your company through a share buyback program \u2014 provided your company has a buyback program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main benefit of selling your shares this way? It&#8217;s extremely easy. All you have to do is follow the procedure that your company has in place, which is usually not more involved than filling out a few forms. You can sell all of your shares back to the company or just a few, depending on why you want to sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The downside? Buyback programs offer you a set price for your private company stock, so you don\u2019t have any recourse for getting a better deal if you feel that the price doesn\u2019t represent the fair value of your shares. The only thing you can do is wait and hope that the company decides to increase the price later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling through a buyback program is a great choice if you want to minimize hassle and don\u2019t mind leaving some potential gains on the table.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other options I\u2019m about to cover could potentially offer greater rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Secondary Marketplaces<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A relatively new phenomenon is the rise of secondary marketplaces for private company stock, such as Equitybee. These marketplaces connect you with potential buyers and allow them to bid for your stock and stock options.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The major advantage of selling on secondary marketplaces over participating in a buyback program is competition. Allowing buyers to issue competing bids for your shares drives their value up and often gets you a better price than a buyback offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To sell private company stock on a secondary marketplace, you typically need to open an account and get approval from the company that owns the marketplace. Not all startups are accepted on all platforms, so you might have trouble finding one if your company isn\u2019t well-known. If your company\u2019s shares are eligible, you\u2019ll have to verify your ownership of the shares before they can be listed on the marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Platforms like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Equitybee<\/a> take a different approach, preferring prepaid variable forward contracts over directly buying and selling shares and options.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One advantage of using Equitybee is that, as far as your company is concerned, you remain the share owner. Equitybee aims to connect you with investors that provide the cash you need to exercise your stock options plus possible immediate cash on top of the exercise price. In case of a successful liquidity event you will split the proceeds with the investor (according to a predefined ratio) . This process does not require you to get approval from the board before you\u2019re allowed to sell shares, which is one less step to cash in early.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/3.-Unlock-the-value-of-your-equity.png\" alt=\"3. Unlock the value of your equity\" class=\"wp-image-24751\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/3.-Unlock-the-value-of-your-equity.png 1999w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/3.-Unlock-the-value-of-your-equity-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/3.-Unlock-the-value-of-your-equity-1536x1123.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Another point in favor of Equitybee\u2019s approach is that you don\u2019t have to wait for a liquidity event \u2014 like an acquisition or IPO \u2014 to realize gains. Equitybee aims to provide funding and liquidity in exchange for sharing a portion of the future value of your shares when a liquidity event occurs. This mitigates the risk of waiting for a liquidity event that may not happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet another benefit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Equitybee<\/a>\u2019s forward contract model is that you don\u2019t incur the same expenses that you would for exercising your options directly. Unlike when you exercise your options with your company, you don\u2019t have any out-of-pocket costs when you use Equitybee. This can be a big deal, as exercise fees can be up to a few percent of the underlying shares\u2019 value. And also the investor is taking all of the risk by funding your stock options&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, with Equitybee you remain the sole owner of the shares so you can still benefit from a successful liquidity event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" style=\"background-color:#446bca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get started on Equitybee<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Tender Offers and Liquidity Events<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A tender offer is when an outside group of investors offers to buy shares from your company\u2019s shareholders at some predetermined price. The price is often higher than fair market value because the outside investors making the tender offer are hoping to acquire a large fraction of the company\u2019s shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your company receives a tender offer, you as a shareholder have a set amount of time to decide whether or not you want to sell their shares. If enough shareholders decide to sell their shares, then the tender offer is accepted and the shares are sold to the investors who made the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tender offers can come with a wide range of details and stipulations. For example, many tender offers specify what percentage of shares are required to be sold for the deal to go through. Since tender offers are often designed so that the investors making the offer wind up with a controlling interest in the company, the number of shares that need to be sold is usually quite high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as you and your shares are concerned, deciding to accept a tender offer comes down to whether or not you think the price offered in the deal is high enough. Mechanically speaking, you don\u2019t have to do much besides follow the instructions for making your decision, which\u2014unsurprisingly\u2014involves filling out some forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Selling After an IPO<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling your private stock after your company goes public is the riskiest and\u2014potentially\u2014most rewarding way to offload your shares and options. If your company\u2019s IPO is successful, chances are that the price you can sell your shares at will be much higher than any of the options we\u2019ve discussed so far. Of course, the other side of the coin is your shares could wind up worthless if the free market decides the company isn\u2019t worth as much as you thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One important thing to note about selling after an IPO is that you\u2019ll have to wait for an initial grace period to end before you\u2019re allowed to sell. The period varies but is typically between 90 and 180 days after the IPO date. The reason you have to wait is to avoid a scenario where a company\u2019s employees induce a massive selloff immediately after going public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you believe in your company and think that it will succeed as a publicly traded company, you should exercise patience and wait for its IPO before selling your stock or options. When people talk about the potentially life-changing amounts of money you can make by working for a startup, they\u2019re referring to the potential gains you can get from the stock and options portion of your compensation package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Factors to Consider Before Selling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you go ahead and sell your private shares, there are a few things you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/4.-Factors-to-Consider-Before-Selling.png\" alt=\"4. Factors to Consider Before Selling\" class=\"wp-image-24752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/4.-Factors-to-Consider-Before-Selling.png 1999w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/4.-Factors-to-Consider-Before-Selling-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/4.-Factors-to-Consider-Before-Selling-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h4><strong>Company Policies<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Some companies require their employees to give the company the first right of refusal before selling private shares. That means that the company has the right to purchase the shares back before you can sell them on the secondary market or through a platform like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Equitybee<\/a>. The process is usually straightforward and usually requires approval from the company\u2019s board of directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re considering selling your shares, make sure you understand your company\u2019s policies before you do to avoid any trouble. Practically speaking, selling your shares back to the company will make things easier for you, although you might not have full freedom to set the price you want, depending on the details of your contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Personal Financial Situation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need money now, selling your private stock can be a great way to raise a significant amount of money. The financial burden of big purchases like a house or car can be lessened by selling some or all of your private stock or stock options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, if you don\u2019t need the money now and believe in the future success of your company, holding onto your private shares is the better long-term play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Private stock has the potential to appreciate rapidly when a company starts to grow, and selling now may mean missing out on much bigger gains down the road. If you don\u2019t have a good reason to sell your shares now, you should consider sitting on your hands and playing the long game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Tax Implications<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to forget about Uncle Sam when you\u2019re busy salivating over how much your shares are worth. This is especially important if you\u2019ve held your private stock for less than one year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Private stock and stock options are held to the same long and short-term capital gains tax rules, so you\u2019re better off holding your shares for at least a year before selling them. The long-term capital gains tax rate is much lower than the short-term rate, which is taxed the same as your income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Market and Transaction Fees<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Another factor that\u2019s easy to overlook is the transaction fees associated with selling your shares. This is especially important on the secondary market where bid-ask spreads can be much larger than you\u2019re used to on the public markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bid is the highest a buyer is willing to pay for shares and the ask is the lowest price a seller is willing to sell their shares at. Market makers take the difference between the bid and the ask as a fee for setting up the market and providing liquidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On illiquid assets, like most private shares are, the bid-ask spread can be quite large. The bottom line is selling your shares when the bid-ask spread is large means sacrificing some gains since you might have to cross the spread and pay the bid if you want to sell your shares quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transaction fees will also eat into your profits and are only worth paying if you stand to gain significantly more by selling your shares now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Funding for Exercising Options<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This detail only matters if you hold stock options rather than actual shares. If you want to sell the shares you have the right to purchase via a stock option, you have to exercise that option first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means paying for your shares at the strike price given in the option\u2019s contract and then selling the shares afterward. You might already see the problem: exercising your options requires a significant amount of capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, many businesses that issue private stock options realize that their employees might not be able to afford to exercise their options and offer options lending programs. The basic concept is simple: the company will lend you the money you need to exercise your options and purchase your shares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These programs also usually come with reduced fees and are designed to make it easier for employees to turn their options into shares they can sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Equitybee is another fantastic resource if you\u2019re looking for ways to exercise your options with no out of pocket costs \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learn more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/equitybee-employees?ad_id=how-to-sell-private-company-stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1097\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/5.-Heres-how-it-works.png\" alt=\"5. Here's how it works\" class=\"wp-image-24753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/5.-Heres-how-it-works.png 1999w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/5.-Heres-how-it-works-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/5.-Heres-how-it-works-1536x843.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2><strong>Additional Insights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before I wrap this up, there are a few more things I want to mention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><strong>Valuing Private Shares<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Valuing private shares can be challenging since you usually don\u2019t have a readily available market price to use as a baseline. If you\u2019re serious about selling your shares and can\u2019t figure out a fair price, you have a few options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most straightforward method for valuing private shares is to do a comparable company analysis. The idea is to look for a publicly traded company that\u2019s similar to your company and use its share price as a starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another approach is to look for data about recent private company sales. A lot of times there is public information about the details of private acquisitions, so you can use the sale price as a barometer for the value of your shares if you can find a deal for a similar company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Handling Employee Stock Options<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you hold options rather than ordinary stock, make sure you understand how they work before you even think about selling them. Many people don\u2019t understand how options differ from stock and wind up making mistakes that cost them money when they want to cash in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to become an options expert but understanding the basics will help you get the most out of your options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4><strong>Decision-Making Tips<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether or not to sell your shares and how you want to sell them if you decide comes down to one thing: risk vs. reward. Risk and reward are always inversely correlated, so the right move often depends on your personal risk tolerance and how you view your company\u2019s future prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll keep my advice here simple: if you need the cash, selling now could be a good option. But if you think there\u2019s a chance that your company will continue to grow, holding onto your shares could produce life-changing money later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling private company stock and employee stock options can be a complex process, but I hope you now have a better understanding of how to sell shares of a private company, in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people don\u2019t realize that they can sell their shares without a liquidity event and, sometimes, selling on the secondary market is the best move. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Armed with the knowledge you&#8217;ve gained in this post, I hope you have a better sense of direction for how to make the most of your private company stock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-faq-schema-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>FAQs:<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-faq-schema-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>How are shares sold in a private company?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Shares of private companies are sold through buyback programs offered by the company itself, on the secondary market, through tender offers or on the public market after an IPO.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Can I sell my shares in a private company to anyone?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In general, no. Some companies require approval from the board of directors before you can sell your shares, and other companies reserve the right to purchase your shares first before you can post them on the market. Shares of private companies are also often subject to lock-up periods that restrict when you\u2019re allowed to sell your shares.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>How do you value private company shares for sale?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Valuing company shares is difficult because you don\u2019t have the dynamics of an open market working to determine a fair price. The most common ways to value shares of a private company are through a cash flow analysis, by comparing the company\u2019s value to similar companies with known valuations, and recent transaction analysis.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This situation is all too common in the startup space. Many employees at startups and private companies have a significant portion of their wealth wrapped up in company stock and employee stock options. Unfortunately, selling stock in a private company is not as straightforward as selling shares in a publicly traded company. In this article, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":24747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[34,29,1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Sell Private Company Stock and Employee Stock Options | WallStreetZen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you an employee of a private company? Got stock options? Here&#039;s how to sell private company stock and maximize your shares.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-private-company-stock\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Sell Private Company Stock and Employee Stock Options | WallStreetZen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you an employee of a private company? Got stock options? 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