Another option would be a rights issue, in which existing shareholders would be offered new shares at a discount.

ECONOMIST: BT

The Hayes issue perversely called for conversion at a 15% discount -- from wherever the common was trading at the time of conversion.

FORBES: Pact with the devil

Commerzbank said it would issue new shares at a more than 50% discount, as the battered German lender struggles to wean itself off state aid.

WSJ: What's News

Hong Kong spent heavily to promote the issue and also offered such goodies as a 5% discount to the market value of the stocks in the ETF at the ipo (so investors got, in effect, an immediate 5% gain).

FORBES: Can the exchange-traded fund replace the mutual fund?