Plc

PLC

Abbreviation · /ˌpiː el ˈsiː/ · Public Limited Company

Definition

PLC stands for Public Limited Company — a type of business structure in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries where the company's shares are offered to the general public and traded on a stock exchange. The shareholders' liability is limited to the value of their shares.

Origin

The concept emerged from the Companies Act 1980 in the UK, which formally separated public limited companies from private ones. The abbreviation PLC replaced the older designation "Ltd" for publicly traded firms, and became the standard marker of a company listed on the London Stock Exchange.