Public or Private?
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Public Companies
â–ª Their stock is owned by the public and is traded on the stock market
â–ª They are required to file financial statements and other reports with the SEC
Public companies are typically easier to find information on for your research. Public companies are not to be confused with government-owned corporations – also known as publicly owned companies – which are also sometimes called public companies.
What are some large public companies?
Private Companies
â–ª Their stock not sold to the general public and does not trade on an exchange
â–ª They not required to share financial information or other company news
Private companies may be more challenging when you perform research on them.
What are some large private companies?
Company Affiliations
Another thing to consider is whether the company you are researching is affiliated with another company through stock ownership.
Parent Company: In general, a parent company owns a significant amount of stock (often over 50%) of another company ("subsidiary").
Subsidiary: In general, a subsidiary is a company for which over 50% of the voting stock is controlled by another company, usually called the "parent company."
Subsidiary stock is not available for sale to the general public, so the company does not have to file financial statements or other disclosures with the SEC. This means it may be more difficult to find information on this company.
Questions? Please contact
Ruth Mirtz
Undergraduate Services Librarian
785.826.2636
111E Technology Center