Google offers more shares for IPO

Google's flotation could be just days away

Google, the world's most used internet search portal, has raised the amount of shares planned for its forthcoming initial public offering (IPO).

The 1.1 million extra shares - taking the total to 25.7 million - come from rival search engine Yahoo, which is selling 1.6 million Google shares.

Yahoo's decision to sell more of its rival's stock follows the settlement of a patent dispute between the two.

The deal sees Google giving Yahoo an extra 2.7 million shares.

According to an amended prospectus that Google has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the estimated price of Google's planned IPO remains unchanged at $108 to $135 per share.

Last week Google admitted it may have breached stock market laws in the US by failing to register almost 30 million shares and options issued to staff.

It has since offering to buy them back, although it is unclear whether this could affect the timing of the flotation, which could take place within days.