Floyd Norris writes in his NYT blog on yesterday's Goldman Sachs $5 billion share sale:

Goldman may also have some unhappy customers today. It says its stock offering was oversubscribed when it was priced this morning at 9 a.m. at $123 a share. That means it may be able to sell the overallotment option, which would give it an additional $750 million.

Goldman shares opened above $123 this morning, but fell below that level at noon, and closed at $115.11.

At that price, and assuming the overallotment option is exercised, Goldman’s customers, on a mark-to-market basis, have lost $368.8 million on the sale today.

Shareholders of a company – even new ones – are not customers (possible) but owners (for sure).

Those who bought were some likely stupid folks who 'invested' in an over hyped 'asset', i.e. Goldman Sachs.shares, and now own a part of that company. They have a say in what that company does – theoretically.

Interestingly though in this is that the "chief financial correspondent" of the NYT is obviously unable (or unwilling) to express the difference between owners and customers of a certain company.

Take your own conclusions from that.