Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A public corporation is a company that sells shares of its ownership to the public through a stock market. This means that anyone can buy a piece of the company and become a part-owner. When a company becomes public, it has to follow strict rules and regulations set by the government to protect investors. This includes filing reports about its financial health and performance regularly. The opposite of a public corporation is a private corporation, which only sells shares to a select group of people.
A public corporation is a type of company that has shares available for trading on a public market, like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). When a company decides to become public, it goes through an initial public offering (IPO) process, which involves submitting a registration statement (Form S-1) to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Once a corporation becomes public, it is required to file various reports with the SEC, including annual reports, quarterly reports, and current reports using Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, and Form 8-K, respectively. These reports provide information about the company's financial performance and other important details that investors need to make informed decisions about buying or selling the company's stock.
For example, Apple Inc. is a public corporation that has shares available for trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange. When Apple went public in 1980, it raised $97 million, making it the largest IPO at the time. Since then, Apple has become one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a market capitalization of over $2 trillion.
Another example of a public corporation is Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon went public in 1997, raising $54 million in its IPO. Today, Amazon is one of the largest online retailers in the world, with a market capitalization of over $1.5 trillion.
These examples illustrate how public corporations can raise significant amounts of capital by selling shares to the public. This capital can be used to fund growth and expansion, as well as to reward shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks.