A public company, publicly traded company, publicly held company or public limited company (in the United Kingdom) is a limited liability company that offers its securities (stock/shares, bonds/loans, etc.) for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets. Public companies, including public limited companies, can be either unlisted or listed on a stock exchange depending on their size and local legislation.
Public companies are not to be confused with Government-owned corporations – also known as publicly owned companies – which are also sometimes called public companies.
Read more about Public Company: Securities of A Public Company, General Trend, Privatization, Trading and Valuation
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