Google's shares fell $8.68, or 2.8 per cent on Wednesday, to close at $303 before the company announced the pricing of stock. The shares are the first that Google has sold since its highly anticipated initial public offering at $85 a little over a year ago.

The follow-up sale will raise $4.18 billion and could generate even more money if Google's investment bankers exercise an option to sell an additional 600,000 shares.

The Mountain View, California-based Google expects to have nearly $7.1 billion in cash after the offering, providing ample financial muscle for potential acquisitions or thwarting potential competitive threats from its larger rivals, Yahoo Inc and Microsoft Corp.

Google has not specified how it will use the money, leaving the technology industry guessing wildly about where the influential company's next move might lead.

Some analysts believe Google might be preparing for something truly bold, like building a wireless network to extend the reach of its search engine, while others think executives are merely capitalising on the company's lofty stock price to build a nest egg.

Like most young companies, Google has emphasised it has no plans to pay a dividend.