DOUBTS

Groupon Rethinking IPO Plans

Amid questions of violating SEC rules.

The daily-deals website Groupon is reevaluating its plans to go public, a source told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday. The company isn’t canceling its initial public offering, but is delaying it in view of the recent volatility in the stock market, a person familiar with the matter said. Groupon has canceled its roadshow and has begun a wait-and-see approach. But the source also said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission contacted a Groupon attorney last week, asking the lawyer to answer a series of questions related to a recently leaked memo in which Groupon chief executive Andrew Mason touted the company to employees. The SEC prohibits making public statements about the financial status of a company during an IPO process.