What millennials don't know about the job market

When Ben Carpenter's daughter Avery landed a dream job in broadcasting not long after graduating from college, the family was overjoyed. But then Avery had a question.

"She wanted to e-mail and say, 'Can I put my start date off for a week so I can apartment hunt?' " Ben Carpenter, vice chairman of CRT Capital Group, recalled. "I started shaking. I couldn't believe it."

Carpenter realized, he said, that his highly educated daughter had no inkling of the ways of the workplace.

This is a tough job market for millennials, those born between the early 1980s and 2000. The unemployment rate in March for recent college graduates was 12.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A study by Accenture found that roughly 40% are employed in jobs that don't require a college degree.

But why? Aren't these kids well educated, with technology expertise and social networking skills like no other generation?

Yes, but that's not all they need to be successful in landing a job and navigating office culture, experts say. Employers regularly cite attributes like integrity, leadership and work ethic as crucial. And a recent study indicates that many of them question whether millennials have what it takes to succeed in the workplace.

In that survey, State of St. Louis Workforce 2013, a lack of communication skills, a poor work ethic and a lack of critical thinking and problem solving were the biggest shortcomings of the job applicants they were seeing. " 'Soft skills' once again far outpaced technical skills such as math and computer skills as the most lacking in the workforce," the study concluded.

Similarly, a 2013 study commissioned by Bentley University found that 35% of business leaders give recent college graduates they have hired a "C" or lower on preparedness, and 37% of recent college graduates give themselves the same grade range.

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On top of the skills mismatch, millennials are making it harder by being too laid back about their job searches, said Carpenter, whose experience with his daughter led him to write "The Bigs: The Secrets Nobody Tells Students and Young Professionals About How to Find a Great Job, Do a Great Job, Be a Leader, Start a Business, Stay Out of Trouble, and Live a Happy Life."

"They almost all regret that they didn't start the process of their job search earlier. I hear that over and over again," he said.

Sanjeev Agrawal, whose company, Collegefeed, connects college students and recent graduates with employers, agreed that millennials' job hunting process is flawed, though he argued that it's not really their fault. "About 50% of the problem is the process that is used to hire college graduates and young alums who don't have a strong, established professional network," he said.

When millennials do land jobs, they face the added challenge of fitting into workplace culture. Unfortunately, research suggests that they are not ready for that either.

In a study commissioned by Bentley University, 74% of the non-millennials surveyed said they believed millennials did not have the same work ethic as previous generations, but 89% of the millennials said they have a strong work ethic. Also, 70% of those beyond the millennial years said millennials should be more willing to "pay their dues."

A 2012 report on the metro St. Louis workforce cited a Boeing official as saying, "New hires and younger workers certainly have a positive work ethic; however they often have an immature or impatient approach toward career development/progression. They have an expectation that their career development will somehow be on the fast track, without a full understanding of the commitment it takes beyond the 9-to-5 world. At times they seem to lack an understanding that you need to work until the work is done."

What can millennials do about these challenges? For st! arters, t! hey should recognize that traditional job hunting assistance only goes so far, Agarwal says. Career development offices and job boards often do a less-than-stellar job of connecting individual job seekers with opportunities that would let them leverage their unique skills.

Carpenter suggests that college students start the job search well before spring of their senior year by choosing a field to pursue, contacting seniors who have landed jobs in that area and asking coaches or favorite professors for experts you can contact in that field.

Agarwal said many new, young employees need to develop more persistence and determination—"this idea of staying the course, of grit, of fight, of 'I won't give up no matter what happens.' "

Still, millennials' obvious skills in technology, networking and teamwork are assets that employers need to leverage. And just as many millennials need to develop some new traits to succeed in a the workplace, Agarwal said, smart organizations are thinking about ways to adapt so that they can attract the best and brightest millennials.

"Companies that want to attract millennial talent need to be aware that different generations do things differently," he said. Thirty years from now, someone who is a millennial today will be running your company."

© CNBC is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

3D Systems Corporation and Staples Inc. Add In-Store 3-D Printing to Partnership

3D Systems (NYSE: DDD  ) and Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS  )  today announced a partnership that will give customers at individual Staples stores in New York City and Los Angeles access to 3-D printing capabilities.

Source: 3D Systems.

The two locations will allow for "an immersive 3D printing experience," which will give customers the ability to use 3-D hardware to print and create personalized products, according to a 3D Systems press release. In addition, customers can bring pre-made files and designs to have them printed in-store.

"Staples' established reputation as a leader in home office and small business solutions makes them an ideal partner for testing out live, consumer-facing 3D print services," 3D Systems Vice President Rajeev Kulkarni said in the announcement. "We have been thrilled with the retail experience and response from our audience, and the difference it makes being able to see, touch and experience 3D printing."

The press release noted that the centers will allow for both individuals and small-business customers to be educated further surrounding 3-D printing. They'll also be able to use software that will provide design and creativity functionality and have access to a 3DMe photo booth that can capture customers' facial images to create for things like personalized figurines.

"3D printing offers enormous potential for small businesses, and by using Staples, they can print with the technology without having to invest in it," Damien Leigh, Staples senior vice president of business services, added in the release. "The test with 3D Systems will help us learn about our customers' needs for a local 3D printing service, and how Staples can help them make more happen for their business through 3D printing."

The two stores will each have an on-site expert from 3D Systems, as well trained Staples associates to give customers greater understanding and guidance as they create a 3-D product. This announcement narrowly precedes the one-year anniversary of Staples announcing it would be the first major retailer to provide customers the ability to purchase the Cube printer from 3D Systems.

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Lemon suit tests Tesla's restrictive sales deals

A lemon-law suit by an unhappy Tesla Model S owner who wants his money back could be the first test of Tesla's restrictive customer sales agreements.

The Wisconsin lawyer handling the state lawsuit against Tesla, a specialist in automobile lemon-law cases, says he believes state law there will overcome what he calls one of the the most unusual sales agreements that he's ever seen -- one he believes are aimed at keeping owners from being able to sue over bad cars in the first place.

Milwaukee attorney Vince Megna also says that Tesla's policy of selling cars directly to consumers -- rather than having franchised dealers -- is another reason that it is tougher for customers to take action if they are dissatisified with their car.

"They are a company that doesn't have to follow state rules," says Megna. "It really puts a person in tough, tough situation."

Megna represents physician Robert Montgomery, who says the $94,770 Tesla Model S that he had delivered in March, 2013 and in the first five months it was out of service 66 days according to Megna, and he wants a refund. Megna says that Montgomery's three demands for a buy-back under the Wisconsin lemon law went unanswered.

Tesla officials, reached for comment, say they can't talk about pending court cases.

Montgomery has had a laundry list of troubles -- not turning on, not going into "drive," door handles that don't work, a faulty battery coolant system and and more. Adding to the lost time, because Tesla has no Wisconsin facilities, the car had to be transported to Chicago for major repairs.

Because the car was out of service for 30 days or more, according to the suit and Megna, it falls squarely under Wisconsin's lemon law -- state laws that generally provide recourse for car buyers if a car is faulty and the maker can't make good on it.

But the case is complicated by Tesla's sales agreement that buyers sign, which Megna is designed to thwart lemon-law suits.

For one, he says, Tesla's deal says tha! t legal disputes must be filed in northern California, where Tesla is based, and where the owner lives. The agreement also mandates that Tesla or the owner can demand arbitration, which could pretty much allow Tesla to prevent cases from going to trial. And if there is a settlement, you can't tell anyone.

"Tesla is like a dictator," Megna says.

Megna argues, however, in the suit that Wisconsin's lemon laws supersede Tesla's sales contract and that is should be allowed to go forward there.

Megna also has done a humorous video to promote the case and we've included it here. As you'll see, the self-described "King of the Lemon Laws" bears more than a passing resemblance in both his deadpan delivery and his eyebrows to Eugene Levy, perhaps best known as the dad in the American Pie movies series.

Can Valentine stocks pay off ahead of Feb. 14?

USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com.

Q: Can Valentine stocks pay off ahead of Feb. 14?

A: Professing one's love on Feb. 14 has been a time-honored tradition since the Middle Ages. But some investors might say, forget the mushy stuff, can I profit from this day?

There's no question Valentine's Day has increasingly become a time to buy cards, gifts and flowers for one's beloved. As long ago as the 1700's in Europe, the holiday was already a way to use one's wallet to display affection.

But things have only accelerated the in modern era as companies are quick to produce Valentine's Day themed goods. For some companies, especially some makers of chocolates and providers of flowers, Valentine's Day is their make-or-break season.

Profiting from Valentine's Day, for investors, isn't quite as easy. Many of the giants in the industry are privately held, and cannot be invested in. Kansas City, Mo, is home to two of the kings of Valentine's Day: Card seller Hallmark and boxed candy maker Russell Stover Candies. Both are private and cannot be invested in. American Greetings was the largest publicly traded greeting card company until 2013, the year it decided to go private.

TRACK YOUR STOCKS: Get real-time quotes with our free Portfolio Tracker

There are some options, though. Hershey, the largest U.S. maker of candy, is public and trades by the symbol HSY. And then there's the recently spun-off flower delivery service, FTD. It trades by the symbol FTD. Most of the large diversified food companies, too, make Valentine themed candies. And don't forget L Brands, the company that owns Victoria's Secret.

There's also the matter of timing, which complicates things even more. Shares of Hershey actually fell 1.2%in the five days after Valentine's Day last year. Investors anticipate the February bump in business at the Valentine's-related companies and price the stocks! accordingly.

So it seems that Valentine's Day isn't just a bust for Charlie Brown, but for investors, too.

Tuesday’s Dividend Changes: 8 Companies Raise Their Payouts (CCE, SEP, SU, More)

Markets saw a nice rebound today after Monday’s nasty sell-off, allowing stocks to get some much-needed relief. On top of a prosperous day on the Street, a total of eight companies announced raises to their dividend payouts.

AGL Resources, Inc. Raises Dividend 4.3%

AGL Resources, Inc. (GAS) raised its quarterly dividend from $0.47 to $0.49 per share. The new dividend will be paid on 3/1/2014 to shareholders on record as of 2/14/2014. The stock will go ex-dividend on 2/12/2014.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Raises Dividend 25%

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE

Week's Winners & Losers: Walmart's Donkey Trouble; Disney Works More Magic

Alamy Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From another cheap swipe at the country's second-largest discounter to a timely analyst upgrade on the world's leading family entertainment provider, here's a rundown of the week's best and worst in the business world. Walmart (WMT) -- Loser A recall of donkey meat in China's Walmart stores may seem like an absurd story, but the real hook to the story is that the recall was done because fox DNA was found in the meat. Donkey is a delicacy in China, and to maintain its status as the world's largest retailer, Walmart has to cater to local tastes. The recall may be making news closer to home given the oddity of fox meat being passed off as donkey meat by a Walmart supplier in China, but it's hurting the retailer's reputation in the world's most populous nation. Disney (DIS) -- Winner At least one analyst is feeling more upbeat about the family entertainment giant's prospects. Guggenheim's Michael Morris upgraded his rating on Disney from neutral to buy -- raising his price target from $77 to $87 -- on better than expected box office results for "Frozen" and "Thor 2." He's also encouraged by how Disney's theme parks are faring in this improving economy -- visitors are flocking to them, as anyone who arrived at Florida's Magic Kingdom on New Year's Eve to find that it was turning guests away because it was operating at capacity could attest. And you do know that Disney's new "Star Wars" movie is now slated to come out next year, right? The mouse just keeps getting richer. Target (TGT) -- Loser This just hasn't been the holiday shopping season Target was aiming for. The chain has already lost the trust of shoppers with the data breach that potentially exposed debit and credit card information on 40 million transactions during several weeks last month. Now even the store's own plastic is suspect. The discount department store chain revealed on Tuesday that some gift cards sold during the holidays were not property activated. Target claims that the issue impacts less than 0.1 percent of the number of cards sold, but that's still one in a thousand shoppers who will be embarrassed when they attempt to use their cards. Target's doing the right thing. It will honor the cards that weren't activated. Customers can also call the number on the back of the cards to verify that they have the right amount on them. Wall Street -- Winner The market itself was a big winner in 2013. The S&P 500 closed out the trading year with a 29 percent gain, making this the best return since 1997. The strongest year on this side of the millennium was a refreshing surprise, especially when so many naysayers were bracing for the worst when 2013 began. Fears of rising interest rates and the end of a payroll tax break that had returned 2 percent of paychecks to earners in 2011 and 2012 threatened to derail the market's chances for a buoyant 2013. However, anyone following the market for awhile knows that it pays to be a contrarian. All of those pundits figuring that global stock markets would be challenged when the year began merely provided a bigger pool of skeptics to be won over when consumer spending and home prices kept moving higher despite the initial headwinds. Netflix (NFLX) -- Loser Netflix bounced back in 2013, and its stock nearly quadrupled, but it's making a mistake by offering a cheaper monthly subscription plan to some new users. Reports indicate that the leading video service is testing out a plan that will set video buffs back just $6.99 a month, a buck less than Netflix's popular streaming solution. The catch to the cheaper plan is that is only streams in standard definition and that it can only be seen on one screen at a time. The traditional $7.99 a plan includes high-def videos when feasible and it can be viewed by two family members simultaneously. This test might sound like a reasonable idea if you're a frugal cord-cutter, but investors don't want to see Netflix making less money per account. Also, it sends the wrong message if Netflix is testing lower pricing tiers at a time when its flagship service seems to be doing just fine.

Confident investors push stocks to record levels

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U.S. Stocks Rise to Records as GDP Growth Tops Estimates

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index has capped its biggest weekly gain since October, as data showing faster-than-estimated growth boosted confidence in the world's largest economy.

The S&P 500 added 0.5% to a record 1,818.32 Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 42.06 points, or 0.3%, to 16,221.14, also an all-time high. About 9.2 billion shares changed hands on U.S. changes in the busiest trading since June as futures and options contracts expired today in a process known as quadruple witching and the operator of the S&P 500 rebalanced the index in a quarterly move to adjust member weightings.

“The market is feeling somewhat confident,” said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist in New York at Banyan Partners, which manages about $4.5 billion. “It's encouraging as an investor and consumer to see GDP get up to these levels. GDP reaching 4% makes you feel good about the economy and where we're headed.”

The S&P 500 rose 2.4% this week, halting a string of two weekly declines and erasing a loss for the month, after the Federal Reserve's decision to slow the pace of its stimulus boosted investor confidence that the recovery in the world's largest economy is on course. The Dow's weekly advance of 3% was its biggest since September.

GDP EXPANSION

Data Friday showed the rate of expansion in the third quarter was faster than previously estimated as consumers stepped up spending on services such as health care and companies invested more in software. Gross domestic product climbed at a 4.1% annualized rate, the strongest since the final three months of 2011 and up from a previous estimate of 3.6%, Commerce Department figures showed.

“This revised GDP number was really positive,” Colleen Supran, a principal at San Francisco-based Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough, which manages about $3 billion, said in a phone interview. “It helps complete the story on what the Fed did this week and that is, the Fed has some belief that the economy is getting close to being able to stand on its own.”

The S&P 500 has rallied 27% so far in 2013, on course for its best performance since 1997. Three rounds of central-bank bond purchases have helped propel the equity benchmark 169% higher from a 12-year low in 2009.

The Fed will probably reduce its bond purchases by $10 billion in each of its next seven meetings before ending the program in December 2014, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 41 economists conducted on Dec. 19.

VOLATILITY GAUGE

The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index (VIX) dropped 2.5% Friday to 13.79. The gauge ! of S&P 500 options known as the VIX fell 13% this week.

Announced index changes, such as the addition of Facebook Inc.'s inclusion in the S&P 500, took effect after the markets closed.

Money managers needed to buy and sell about $13.8 billion of shares as they shuffled their funds to mimic changes in the S&P 500 quarterly rebalance, according to estimates from Howard Silverblatt, a senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices in New York. He forecast utility companies will see the biggest increase in their representation while the weighting of consumer staples will drop the most.

Nine of the 10 S&P 500 main industries advanced. Utility and technology shares rose more than 0.8% to lead gains. Phone stocks fell 0.6% for the only decline.

(Bloomberg News) Like what you've read?

Funding Real Estate Development Isn't as Simple as You Think

Whenever you see a new project being built in your neighborhood, there is typically a single real estate entrepreneur (usually known as a developer) that is credited as the owner. The developer garners the majority of the public attention, and receives both the accolades and criticism that come with the project. What most people don't know is that this developer has, in fact, only invested a small fraction of the total money needed for the project.

Funding a Real Estate Deal: Debt and Equity

In almost all real estate deals, both debt and equity play enormous roles. Most projects require some level of traditional bank debt. Whether the project costs $1 million, $10 million, or $100 million, a bank is normally involved, providing 60%-80% of the total capital.

So for a $10 million property, a bank might lend $7 million (70%) of the capital, leaving $3 million of equity required. The bank will charge an annual interest rate on the loan they make but will not receive any actual ownership in the property.

So where does the $3 million of equity come from? The developer will then raise 80%-95% of the remaining capital from investors. So in the example above where the developer raised $7 million in debt, he might then raise $2.7 million (90%) of equity from investors and invest $300,000 (10%) himself.

Developer:   $300,000 (3%)
Investors:  $2,700,000 (27%)
Bank:         $7,000,000 (70%)
Total:      $10,000,000

While 3% may not sound like much, $300,000 is a fair amount of money for a single individual or small team to have available as cash. This becomes even truer when you realize that many real estate projects are much larger than $10 million and most real estate developers usually have several projects going at any one time. In short, it adds up.

If you are interested in more details, here is an example of real estate development financials for a property in Washington, DC.

These financial breakdowns also raise a question: if the real estate developer is only providing a fraction of the equity, who is investing the remaining 80%-90%?

Who Really Owns Local Real Estate?

The fact that developers have their names attached to projects has created a misconception that these developers own and control most local real estate. On the contrary, the vast majority of equity is coming from outside investors: high net worth individuals or large investment funds. This outside source of capital is in fact the major driver of how a project gets developed – ultimately these outside investors are the majority owner of the property.

In today's world, raising money from individuals is very inefficient and time-intensive and as a result, most developers choose to raise money from private equity funds.

When a private equity fund invests in a project, it typically holds a super-majority of the equity and therefore keeps the governance rights over major decisions and ultimately has the power. This can cause large problems for the developer if he does not stick closely to the agreed-upon business plan. When push comes to shove, the investment fund can even take over the property and kick out the developer. These realities have resulted in private equity funds becoming the primary driver of real estate development.

There are many consequences of this major corporate ownership, most notably that a fund's primary goal is to drive returns for their investors — not to focus on developing the right project for a neighborhood.

To learn more, check out the investments and developers on Fundrise.

If you're not investing in real estate...

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Legally-married same-sex couples get retirement boost from DOL

The Labor Department has released guidance on same-sex couples who are legally married, defining them as spouses — regardless of which state they live — in the context of retirement plans. The agency's ruling hews closely to the Internal Revenue Service's and Treasury Department's Ruling 2013-17, which expands “spouse” and “husband and wife” to include gay couples in the context of federal tax law.

Further, both the IRS/Treasury ruling and the DOL guidance recognize same-sex marriages based on where the couples were married, rather than the state in which they live.

“A rule for employee benefit plans based on state of domicile would raise significant challenges for employers that operate or have employees in more than one state or whose employees move to another state while entitled with benefits,” the Labor Department noted in its guidance.

In reality, had the agency decided to go with recognizing marriages based on where couples reside, the validity of spousal elections and consents on plans could change if the spouses were to move to a jurisdiction that didn't recognize their marriage. This would be an administrative nightmare for record keepers, as they'd have to keep track of changes in residence and tweak their benefits accordingly.

Such was the concern brought by the SPARK Institute Inc., an advocacy group for retirement plan record keepers and service providers.

Furthermore, same sex-spouses could lose their rights if they went to a state that didn't recognize their marriage.

The Labor Department's guidance not only covers the entire U.S. and Puerto Rico, but all of the U.S. territories, including the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Apple Is Tops in Customer Satisfaction: Survey

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Consumers aren't so thrilled with their computer purchases lately, according to a new report by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.

Overall, PC makers dropped 1.3% from last year, coming in with a consumer satisfaction score of 79 -- a C-plus in some grading systems.

But Apple (AAPL) came out at the top of the group and managed a one-point increase from last year. Toshiba and Hewlett Packard (HPQ) also improved by one point.

Dell (DELL) and Acer got dinged in their annual scores, however. The 79 rating for the group isn't so bad, said David VanAmburg, ACSI's managing director. ACSI, which offers a ratings benchmark for various consumer products, grades on a curve. "It doesn't mean manufacturers are making shoddy products," VanAmburg said. "Not at all. It means that when you've created something pretty neat, the next time around, (consumers) are going to expect something better. It's a trend in all high-tech industries, like TVs, smartphones, you name it. There are constantly rising expectations." Top-satisfying brands in some industries tend to score in the mid 80s, as PepsiCo (PEP) does. Very few reach the 90s. Heinz received a 91 in 2005, and Ford's (F) Lincoln brand hit 90 last year. The lowest, the cable industry, hovers in the 60s. Around 2,700 consumers were surveyed by the ACSI this spring about recent computer purchases and asked to rate a variety of factors on a scale of 1 to 100. Visual appeal scored the highest, at 86. Call center satisfaction was the lowest, at 70. Apple, which consumers ranked as the most satisfying computer company, managed an 87. Second-place HP came in at 80. Dell dropped 2 points to 79, Toshiba increased a point to 78 and Acer, which owns brands like Gateway, fell 2 points to 77. Other computer and device brands, including Lenovo, Amazon's (AMZN) Kindle, Samsung and ASUS, were lumped into the "All Others" group, which fell 4 points from last year to 76. The falling numbers likely reflect a mediocre welcome to the past year's big computing events. Consumers gave a lackluster reception to Microsoft's (MSFT) new Windows 8 operating system.

And although many reviewers loved the high-resolution screen on the iPad 3 released last fall, they recommended that consumers skip an upgrade if they already owned an iPad 2.

Intel (INTC) introduced its faster fourth-generation chip, but that didn't start showing up in PCs until June, a few months after consumers were surveyed by ACSI.

"Generally, the lesson for manufacturers is to understand what consumers want and be aware that consumers have extremely high expectations of their products," VanAmburg said. "The bar is set high. It's more like they are victims to their own success and have to continuously innovate to be out in front of what consumers want next."

Apple has scored relatively well in the annual ACSI survey over the past decade, saying mostly in the 80s, although it did dip below 80 in 2007, the year Apple launched the first iPhone. In 2010, the year Apple released the first iPad, the company scored an 86. (Product introductions were likely revealed after consumers were surveyed each year.) The company's high score speaks to its continued rise in computing. Apple used to have a tiny PC market share, but in the U.S. it now has an 11.5% market share, ranking third behind HP and Dell, according to market research firm IDC. ACSI also included tablets in the survey, which likely helped Apple score high and help the overall PC device category to remain in the high 70s. Tablets are expected to surpass the sales of PCs by the end of 2015, according to IDC. The four-year growth rate of tablet sales is forecast to hit 71% growth by 2017, compared to 8.7% for laptops and a decline of 8.4% for desktops, says IDC. Another consumer-ratings company, J.D. Power and Associates, surveyed consumers for satisfaction on tablets earlier this year. It too put Apple at the top, with 824 points out of 1,000. Amazon Kindle came in second, at 829. Interestingly, the J.D. Power study discovered that satisfaction rates increased if the consumer shared the tablet. "When a tablet is only used by one person, overall satisfaction is 824 (on a 1,000-point scale), 28 points lower than when a tablet is shared by four or more persons (852)," J.D. Power said.

The ACSI says that higher satisfaction rates with a brand should help a shopper's buying decision. But the statistics aren't so straightforward in helping make a computer-buying decision. Although Apple ranks the highest, consumers who have been using Windows PCs still must decide whether it's worth switching to a completely new operating system, VanAmburg said.

But when it comes to comparing Windows PC makers, he added, "Certainly when comparing Dell to an Acer, those are the kinds of comparisons consumers can make (based on the ACSI report)."

Email Tamara Chuang at news@tamara.net

Follow @Gadgetress This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.

Tamara Chuang is an outside contributor to TheStreet. Her opinions are her own.

Twitter: Yes or No at the New, Higher, IPO Price?

Clearly the hype and demand surrounding Twitter’s IPO this week is building. The company upped its price range to $23-$25 a share from $17-$20 Monday, and there are reports out that it priced the IPO above the increased range.

That's still unlikely to price many investors out.

The folks handling Twitter’s IPO have learned a thing or two from Facebook's(FB) notorious debut last year.

Twitter is looking to raise much less than Facebook did, offering fewer shares, and pricing them lower. Forget for a moment that Facebook was a bigger company, and profitable, at the time of its IPO. Facebook raised the number of shares it was selling, the number of shares insiders would sell and the pricing in the days before it began trading.

Facebook raised $16 billion. But the stock priced plunged and struggled for much of the next 12 months.

Twitter’s is selling 70 million shares, priced between $23-$25. If all goes as planned, they’ll raise around $2 billion, the smaller offering will be met with overwhelming demand, and shares will jump. Given the results of some other IPOs this year - Container Store Group, for example, doubled on its first day of trading on Friday – Twitter shares could rise rapidly.

“The obvious question is should you still participate?” analyst Richard Greenfield of BTIG wrote on Monday. At the higher price range, shares will equal nine times the firm’s 2015 revenue estimate and 5.9 times its 2016 revenue estimate. Another ratio, EV/EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) now sits at 52 times 2015 revenue estimate and 24 times 2016.

“We would participate within the $23-$25 range,” Mr. Greenfield writes. But the firm’s view was that Twitter could go to $30 “over the next year.” That level might come much sooner than people think.

One aspect of the company that Mr. Greenfield likes is that Twitter’s monetization efforts are still at an early stage. “Advertising on Twitter only began in the middle of 2010,” he wrote, “not to mention, mobile advertising did not even really exist before 2010.” The company has a light “ad load” (roughly 1% of the tweets on mobile devices are ads), which gives it room to increase ads. “We expect a lot of growth ahead in advertising.”

Still, Twitter is operating from a smaller base than Facebook, and is likely to continue operating from a smaller base. “We believe investors should assume that Twitter’s penetration and user base will be materially smaller than Facebook’s,” Sanford Bernstein wrote. The firm sees Twitter with about 100 million active users monthly in the U.S., and 575 million overseas, by 2018. Facebook has more than 1 billion monthly active users.

The bottom line that investors can’t completely dispense with, though, is this: Twitter is not profitable, and might not turn a profit for several years. While it’s unlikely that another competitor could completely supplant Twitter, the way Facebook did to MySpace, for example, a new competitor could come along and siphon off some of the audience and eyeballs.

Heard of Knotch, for example? No? Well, that won’t be the last one you hear about. Twitter may be “sticky,” as the cool kids say, but that doesn’t mean it won’t face rivals, and that will add another pressure to its bottom line.

The hashtag #twitterprofits is going to be a lonely space for the time being.

At $30 and above, Barron’s Andrew Bary wrote, Twitter’s valuation becomes harder to justify. “Barron’s tends to be cautious on richly valued stocks,” he wrote, “but Twitter would look appealing at an IPO price of $20. Pay much more than that, however, and you might be tweeting your regrets later.”