public companies
Stock exchange entities
Public companies are businesses whose ownership shares trade on stock exchanges, available for anyone to buy.
Going public through an initial public offering (IPO) raises capital but subjects the company to regulatory requirements and shareholder scrutiny.
Public companies must disclose financial information quarterly: Apple became a public company in 1980.
Contrasts with private companies, whose shares don't trade openly.
- shareholdersOwners of company stock
- corporate governanceCompany direction and control
- dividendsProfits paid to shareholders
- quarterly earningsIncome reported every season
- board of directorsGoverning body of organization
stock · Sarbanes-Oxley Act · shareholder meetings · market capitalization · ticker · fiduciary duty · delisting · proxy voting · whistleblower protections · securities · ticker symbol · compliance officers · insider trading · stock exchange · traded · S&P 500 · Fortune 500 · boardroom
- corporationsApple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Toyota
- public entitiesgovernment agencies, state enterprises, state agencies, local authorities, national agencies
- SEC10-K, commissioner, commissioners, chair, chairman
- corporate lawincorporation, shareholders, corporate governance, limited liability, shares
- accountingbookkeeping, ledger, balance sheet, general ledger, accounts payable
public companiesprivate companies
Businesses without public shareholders
family-owned businesses · sole proprietorships · partnerships · privately held · shell companies
public companiesgovernment agencies
State-run administrative bodies
nonprofits · NGOs · public sector organizations · charities · government departments