Public company

A public company offers ownership shares to public investors through a stock exchange or another public market. Its securities and disclosures are subject to applicable public-market rules.

Initial public offering: The first sale of a company’s shares to public investors. An IPO is a common route from private ownership to publicly traded shares.
Share capital: The funds a company raises by issuing shares to owners. Public trading involves shares that represent portions of a company’s share capital.
Private company: A company whose ownership shares are not offered to the general public through public markets. Private companies generally face different ownership, trading, and disclosure conditions.
Quarterly earnings report: A periodic report presenting a company’s financial results for a quarter. Regular results disclosures make public-company performance visible to investors.
Stock exchange: A regulated marketplace where securities are listed and traded. An exchange provides a venue for public-company shares to trade.
Corporate governance: The systems by which a company is directed, controlled, and held accountable. Public shareholders rely on governance structures to oversee company leadership.
Private equity: Investment in companies whose shares are not publicly traded. Private equity finances businesses outside public share markets.
Insider trading: Trading securities while in possession of material nonpublic information, where prohibited by law. Public-company information rules restrict trading by insiders with significant undisclosed facts.
Securities regulation: Rules governing the issuance, trading, and disclosure of securities. Public offerings and ongoing trading trigger disclosure and compliance requirements.
Board of directors: A group elected or appointed to oversee a company’s management and strategy. The board represents shareholders in supervising a public company.

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