public company
Stock exchange listed
A public company is a business whose shares are traded on a stock exchange, available for anyone to buy.
This contrasts with a private company, where ownership is restricted.
Going public typically involves an initial public offering (IPO) and subjects the company to regulatory disclosure requirements: Apple became a public company in 1980.
Also called a publicly traded company.
Units of company ownership
- ticker symbolBrief exchange identifier
- stock priceMarket value per share
- market capitalizationAggregate equity value outstanding
- dividendsProfits paid to shareholders
blue-chip · volatility · stock split · buyback · outstanding shares · float · dilution · earnings per share
Legally separate business entity
- board of directorsGoverning body of organization
- shareholdersOwners of company stock
- CEOTop corporate officer
- CFOTop corporate money officer
corporate governance · bylaws · annual report · proxy vote · fiduciary duty · stakeholder · compliance · audit
Entity investing pooled capital
- retail investorNonprofessional who trades securities
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- analystOne who examines systematically
- brokerTransaction intermediary for hire
fund manager · hedge fund · mutual fund · ETF · shareholder activism · proxy fight · hostile takeover · tender offer
Largest equities market
- NASDAQElectronic securities exchange
- London Stock ExchangeUK's primary securities marketplace
- Tokyo Stock ExchangeJapan's primary securities market
- listingRecorded item in catalog
IPO · trading · delisting · opening bell · closing bell · S&P 500 · FTSE · Nikkei
Required corporate regulatory submission
- 10-KMandatory yearly SEC filing
- prospectusFormal investment disclosure document
- earnings callCorporate financial performance announcement
- guidanceAdvice for decisions
insider trading · transparency · financial statements · quarterly report · annual meeting · investor relations · press release · audit committee
shares
Units of company ownership
- ticker symbolBrief exchange identifier
- stock priceMarket value per share
- market capitalizationAggregate equity value outstanding
dividends · blue-chip · volatility · stock split · buyback · outstanding shares · float · dilution · earnings per share · price-to-earnings
corporation
Legally separate business entity
- board of directorsGoverning body of organization
- shareholdersOwners of company stock
- CEOTop corporate officer
CFO · corporate governance · bylaws · annual report · proxy vote · fiduciary duty · stakeholder · compliance · audit · multinational
institutional investor
Entity investing pooled capital
- retail investorNonprofessional who trades securities
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- analystOne who examines systematically
broker · fund manager · hedge fund · mutual fund · ETF · shareholder activism · proxy fight · hostile takeover · tender offer · activist investor
NYSE
Largest equities market
- NASDAQElectronic securities exchange
- London Stock ExchangeUK's primary securities marketplace
- Tokyo Stock ExchangeJapan's primary securities market
listing · IPO · trading · delisting · opening bell · closing bell · S&P 500 · FTSE · Nikkei
SEC filing
Required corporate regulatory submission
- 10-KMandatory yearly SEC filing
- prospectusFormal investment disclosure document
- earnings callCorporate financial performance announcement
guidance · insider trading · transparency · financial statements · quarterly report · annual meeting · investor relations · press release · audit committee · whistleblower
- business typesbig business, business, corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership
- businessesbusiness, bank, bakery, enterprise, firm
- business entitiescorporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, subsidiary
- business ownershipowner, sole proprietor, sole proprietorship, co-owner, proprietor
- legal entitiescorporation, law firm, LLC, nonprofit, partnership
- SEC10-K, commissioner, commissioners, chair, chairman
public companyprivate company
Business without public shareholders
privately held company · private corporation · sole proprietorship · privately held · partnership
public companynonprofit organization
Mission-focused entity, not profit-seeking
government agency · charity · NGO · cooperative · credit union
public, company, companion, publish, accompany, publication, publicity, publishing, publicize